Mass fishing by Cormorants <i>Phalacrocorax carbo sinensis</i> at lake IJsselmeer, The Netherlands:A recent and successful adaptation to a turbid environment

The habit of mass fishing by Cormorants at lake IJsselmeer, The Netherlands, is a recent phenomenon. During the first half of the 1970s the birds changed behaviour probably as a result of the deteriorating under water visibility in the lake (3-4 m water depth). The behavioural switch coincided with years of high numbers of Smelt Osmerus eperlanus and Ruffe Gymnocephalus cernuus present in the southeastern part of lake Markermeer, the birds' main fishing area at that time. Social fishing by Cormorants is directed towards the catch of relatively small, pelagically dwelling fish. It is argued that for a large water system where social fishing is the rule, a minimum colony size of c. 1000 pairs is required. Typically each colony had one socially fishing group (4000-5000 birds) that slowly changed position through the course of the day. Depending on the direction of the wind the flock's position could greatly change between days. Hunting speed was measured and coincided with maximum swimming speed of medium sized fish prey (15-25 cm). Hunting speed increased during the season probably as a result of the greater swimming speeds of the fish at higher temperatures. Intake rate was closely linked to the birds' position within the flock indicating local depletion of the fished water layer. Mass fishing was especially rewarding at intermediate light intensities under water (50-80 cm Secchi depth, or 300-500 mu E.m(-2)s(-1) at 40 cm depth). The habit of pushing up the fish against the light back-ground of the clear top water layer was only possible when wind caused no greater turbidity than 40 cm Secchi depth (100 mu E.m(-2)s(-1)) which is considered a breakpoint for this kind of behaviour. Adapting the habit of mass fishing effectively enabled the birds to exploit the turbid, rapidly changing environment which resulted in the extension of the foraging range thus maximising colony size relative to the resources available.