Neotropic Cormorant - Phalacrocorax brasilianus on a log in the middle of the Rio Grande in Corrales, NM.

The Phalacrocorax brasilianus AKA Neotropic Cormorant has a "resident" range from central Mexico south throughout South America according to a Wiki page about it. If it ventures this far north up the Rio Grande valley it's an "accidental occurrence".  The Cornell Lab of Ornithology's All About Birds website has a map that shows Neotropic Cormorants can be found north in the Rio Grande Valley to breed: https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Neotropic_Cormorant/maps-range (the spot in New Mexico on the Cornell map is about where Bosque del Apache is, 100 miles south of Corrales). This Neotropic Cormorant may be an accidental tourist. Or it could have come up here with another Phalacrocorax brasilianus to breed and then got dumped by its mate. Or it could be a lonely Phalacrocorax brasilianus that ended up "accidentally occurring" in Corrales (much farther north than usual) while looking for a mate. Whatever the reason this silly bird decided to occasion our stretch of the river will remain a mystery, but apparently it is a rare, and welcome, accidental occurrence to see a Neotropic Cormorant this far north.

Testing the breeze.

Anyone looking?

Hang eight dude!

Neotropic Cormorant in flight

On your mark

Ready

Set
 

Go!