Spotted a double-crested cormorant? The Alberta Wildlife Federation wants to know

Animal protection activists argue the cormorant cull endangers the bird species, while advocates dismiss such concerns as exaggerated and say the birds eat up to a pound of fish a day and cause other damage. (File)

The Alberta Wildlife Federation wants to know if you have seen a double-crested cormorant as part of a monitoring and conservation project.

Double-crested cormorants are waterbirds with entirely black plumage and orange-yellow skin around the beak. The birds migrate to Alberta and beyond during the spring where they breed and have their young before departing as south as Mexico in September.

The large birds typically hang out around lakes, reservoirs, rivers or wetlands.

The federation is asking the public to share sightings of individual birds, groups of cormorants, nesting colonies, and recent cormorant activity on Alberta waters to help improve understanding of cormorant distribution across the province.

Data will also contribute to ongoing conservation and wildlife management.

Sightings and photos can be submitted through an online form.