The Neotropic Cormorant (Phalacrocorax brasilianus) is a versatile bird that lives around freshwater or saltwater, and even brackish water and is found throughout the American tropics and subtropics. It feeds mainly on small fish and shrimp, which it catches by diving and swimming underwater. The Neotropic Cormorant is the only cormorant known to plunge-dive, which is a specific type of diving not performed from a great height. They normally begin less than half of a meter (1.75 feet) above the water. They are not very successful with this technique and only catch one out of every six fish. Like other cormorants, they breed and live in colonies that are made up of a number of monogamous mating pairs.
