Sailing down-wind, Great Cormorants in Europe and beyond This book offers an updated perspective on a very special bird in Europe, the Great Cormorant. Being constantly under discussion, often from either nature conservation or conflict management perspectives, the debate about the possible impact of this species on fisheries and the need to act on a continental scale to manage the problem is a common one. Here, some 80 scientists from all over Europe, Israel and Japan share their data and thoughts on these and associated issues in 30 peer-reviewed papers, arranged in four sections: 1) Population developments, demography and migration 2) Habitat choice, food and feeding habits 3) Breeding biology and reproductive ecology 4) Interactions with man, conflict management and solutions Sailing down-wind is ultimately about the changing role of water quality and natural resource availability, constantly steering the ecological limitations and possibilities of a fish-eating bird at the continental scale. Ecological responses of Cormorants to changing environmental conditions are manifold, most of them being the result either of land use and management practices or of economic developments as a result of human action and intervention. Clear signs of a downward trend in Cormorant numbers are apparent across western and central European countries and, judging from signs of stabilisation in eastern Europe, overall population declines are also likely to follow here in the future. This is clearly a timely opportunity to wrap-up the lessons learned so far in this dynamic, and often highly emotive, socio-ecological story. The Cormorant - fish - fisheries triptych is very much governed in a bottom-up manner, with the birds responding in numbers, distribution, and behaviour to the resources available to them. Furthermore, the perceived damage caused by Cormorants through predation needs a thorough reframing as socio-economic forces strongly interact with ecological forces in complex ways. It seems increasingly doubtful that calls for coordinated management plans to intervene at at continental scale to reduce Cormorant numbers and distribution are necessary or biologically valid. This because of the relatively long-distance seasonal movements of Cormorants across Europe and beyond, the high levels of population mixing during the winter, and the effects of increasing numbers of their natural predators. Nevertheless, calls to do something about Cormorants and fisheries are unlikely to subside soon and so this Volume provides a sound ecological and socio-ecological base upon which all those involved in these issues can consider future co-management options and the restoration of more natural aquatic systems in Europe and beyond. Mennobart R. van Eerden, David N. Carss & Marjolein J. Munsterman (editors) This special issue costs € 50,- including postage and can be ordered by payment to Marjolein Munstermnan (marjolein@eemu.nl), Golfpark 133, 8241 AC Lelystad bank account NL19 SNSB 0964 1829 20, BIC nr/SWIFT SNSBNL2A

list of papers below

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Volume 109 (3)

van Eerden M.R. (2021) Preamble: Sailing down-wind, a breakwaters' perspective on the Great Cormorant . ARDEA 109 (3): 265 - 269.	[free copy]
van Eerden M.R., Parz-Gollner R., Marion L., Bregnballe T., Paquet J.-Y., Volponi S., van Rijn S. & Carss D.N. (2021) Numbers of Great Cormorants Phalacrocorax carbo wintering in the western Palaearctic in January 2013. ARDEA 109 (3): 271 - 284.	[abstract] [samenvatting] [pdf]
Chaika C. (2021) Analysis of the recovery data of the Great Cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo ringed in the Russian Federation and on the territory of former Soviet states in 1939–2014. ARDEA 109 (3): 285 - 297.	[abstract] [samenvatting] [pdf]
Lorentsen S.-H., Anker-Nilssen T., Barrett R.T. & Systad G.H. (2021) Population status, breeding biology and diet of Norwegian Great Cormorants. ARDEA 109 (3): 299 - 312.	[abstract] [samenvatting] [pdf]
van Eerden M.R., van Rijn S., Kilpi M., Lehikoinen A., Lilleleht V., Millers K. & Gaginskaya A. (2021) Expanding East: Great Cormorants Phalacrocorax carbo thriving in the eastern Baltic and Gulf of Finland. ARDEA 109 (3): 313 - 326.	[abstract] [samenvatting] [pdf]
Bregnballe T., Herrmann C, Pedersen K.T., Wendt J., Kralj J. & Frederiksen M. (2021) Long-term changes in winter distribution of Danish-ringed Great Cormorants. ARDEA 109 (3): 327 - 340.	[abstract] [samenvatting] [pdf]
Herrmann C., Feige K.-D., Otto D. & Bregnballe T. (2021) Natural regulation of the Baltic population of the Great Cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo sinensis: the interplay between winter severity and density dependence. ARDEA 109 (3): 341 - 352.	[abstract] [samenvatting] [pdf]
Marion L. & Marion P. (2021) Migration patterns and recorded emigration of the Great Cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo sinensis in the largest French colony of Lac de Grand-Lieu: density-dependent factors operating at different time and geographical scales. ARDEA 109 (3): 353 - 366.	[abstract] [samenvatting] [pdf]
Kazantzidis S., Naziridis T., Catsadorakis G., Nikolaou H. & Makrigianni E. (2021) Status and population trends of Great Cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo sinensis breeding in Greece. ARDEA 109 (3): 367 - 380.	[abstract] [samenvatting] [pdf]
De Rijk J.H. (2021) Great Cormorants Phalacrocorax carbo in The Netherlands: five centuries of protection amidst almost European-wide persecution. ARDEA 109 (3): 381 - 388.	[abstract] [samenvatting] [pdf]
Squires T.E., Aoki D. & Hasegawa O. (2021) The recent range expansion of Great Cormorants Phalacrocorax carbo in Hokkaido, Japan. ARDEA 109 (3): 389 - 394.	[abstract] [samenvatting] [pdf]
Govedič M., Govedič T.B. & Pajtnar A. & Torkar G. (2021) Great Cormorants Phalacrocorax carbo in the subalpine Soča River system, Slovenia: the possible effect of avian predators in a sensitive biogeographic region of fish. ARDEA 109 (3): 395 - 415.	[abstract] [samenvatting] [pdf]
Van Rijn S. (2021) Winter diet of Great Cormorants Phalacrocorax carbo in the river Geul, The Netherlands: the importance of common small riverine fish species. ARDEA 109 (3): 417 - 428.	[abstract] [samenvatting] [pdf]
Paquet J.-Y., Otjacques W., Libois R., Pourignaux F. & Kestemont P. (2021) Effects of Roach Rutilus rutilus collapse on abundance, distribution and diet of Great Cormorants Phalacrocorax carbo in a large river in north-west Europe. ARDEA 109 (3): 429 - 441.	[abstract] [samenvatting] [pdf]
Russell I.C., Cook A.C., Ives M.J. & Davison P.I. (2021) The diet of two sympatric Great Cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo subspecies wintering at freshwater fishery sites in England and Wales. ARDEA 109 (3): 443 - 456.	[abstract] [samenvatting] [pdf]
van Eerden M.R. & van Rijn S. (2021) Time shift in the exploitation of fish stocks by Great Cormorants Phalacrocorax carbo at Lake IJsselmeer: how wintering birds began competing for fish with breeding conspecifics. ARDEA 109 (3): 457 - 470.	[abstract] [samenvatting] [pdf]
Marion L. & Le Gentil J. (2021) Habitat specialisation affects fitness of the marine and continental Great Cormorant subspecies in a recently evolved sympatric area. ARDEA 109 (3): 471 - 480.	[abstract] [samenvatting] [pdf]
Cosolo M., Privileggi N. & Sponza S. (2021) Diet of Great Cormorants Phalacrocorax carbo in relation to fish resources in the upper Adriatic Sea. ARDEA 109 (3): 481 - 490.	[abstract] [samenvatting] [pdf]
Fijn R.C., de Jong J.W., Adema J., van Horssen P.W., Poot M.J.M., van Rijn S., van Eerden M.R. & Boudewijn T.J. (2021) GPS-tracking of Great Cormorants Phalacrocorax carbo sinensis reveals sex-specific differences in foraging behaviour. ARDEA 109 (3): 491 - 505.	[abstract] [samenvatting] [pdf]
van Rijn S. & van Eerden M.R. (2021) Food choice and prey selection by Great Cormorants Phalacrocorax carbo in a shallow coastal zone in the Dutch delta area: importance of local flatfish stocks. ARDEA 109 (3): 507 - 528.	[abstract] [samenvatting] [pdf]
Gwiazda R. & Flis A. (2021) Studies of food ecology of Great Cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo in relation to water transparency require system-adjusted data: an example from two Polish reservoirs. ARDEA 109 (3): 529 - 536.	[abstract] [samenvatting] [pdf]
Thalinger B., Oehm J. & Traugott M. (2021) Molecular methods to study Great Cormorant feeding ecology. ARDEA 109 (3): 537 - 547.	[abstract] [samenvatting] [pdf]
van Eerden M.R. & van Rijn S. (2021) Social hierarchy within communal foraging flocks of Great Cormorants Phalacrocorax carbo as reflected by differences in prey composition and food intake at the roost. ARDEA 109 (3): 549 - 563.	[abstract] [samenvatting] [pdf]
Bregnballe T., Tofft J., Kotzerka J., Lehikoinen A., Rusanen P., Herrmann C., Krone O., Engström H., Rattiste K., Reich J. & Kouzov S.A. (2021) Occurrence and behaviour of White-tailed Eagles Haliaeetus albicilla in Great Cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo sinensis colonies in countries around the Baltic Sea. ARDEA 109 (3): 565 - 582.	[abstract] [samenvatting] [pdf]
Gagliardi A., Preatoni D., Volponi S., Martinoli A. & Fasola M. (2021) When gate crashers show up: does expansion of Great Cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo in north-western Italy affect breeding site selection in Grey Heron Ardea cinerea? ARDEA 109 (3): 583 - 591.	[abstract] [samenvatting] [pdf]
Bregnballe T. & Frederiksen M. (2021) Conspecific density as a driver of offspring body condition in three Cormorant colonies in Denmark. ARDEA 109 (3): 593 - 608.	[abstract] [samenvatting] [pdf]
van Eerden M.R & van Eerden A.O.K. (2021) Ecology of fear in a colonial breeder: colony structure in ground-nesting Great Cormorants Phalacrocorax carbo reflects presence of predators. ARDEA 109 (3): 609 - 628.	[abstract] [samenvatting] [pdf]
Lyach R. (2021) Do Cormorants and recreational anglers take fish of the same species and sizes? ARDEA 109 (3): 629 - 638.	[abstract] [samenvatting] [pdf]
Russell I.C., Parrott D., Ives M.J., Davison P.I., Fox S. & Clifton-Dey D. (2021) Reducing fish losses to Great Cormorants using artificial fish refuges: refining refuge deployment strategies. ARDEA 109 (3): 639 - 658.	[abstract] [samenvatting] [pdf]
Arad Z. (2021) Experimental biology in conflict resolutions: the case of pelicans and cormorants in Israel. ARDEA 109 (3): 659 - 666.	[abstract] [samenvatting] [pdf]
Carss D.N. (2021) There must be some kind of way out of here: towards ‘reframing’ European cormorant-fisheries conflicts. ARDEA 109 (3): 667 - 681.	[abstract] [samenvatting] [pdf]