Michigan is home to around 55% of North America's double-crested cormorant's breeding pairs, according to the Michigan United Conservation Clubs (MUCC). The double-crested cormorant is the most numerous and most widely distributed cormorant in North America, according to the National Audubon Society.

Are cormorants invasive species in Michigan?

Cormorants moved into Michigan from neighboring states in the early 1970s, according to a Department of National Resources report. ... In fact, scientists have discovered that cormorants are eating invasive species, especially round goby in Lake Huron's Saginaw Bay and Lake Michigan's Beaver Archipelago.

Can I shoot a cormorant in Michigan?

Cormorants are protected under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. But the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service can and does grant exceptions to the act's ban on killing migratory birds. ... State fishery managers and their designees have long harassed cormorants at big colonies throughout the state.