White Footed Cormorant?

[Steve Uffman]

Red footed and blue footed booby sure but a white footed cormorant, no way

took this image Friday at a local rookery. Hundreds of cormorants all looking normal but this one was at the very top of a tree. Of course it stood out....Not sure how healthy this bird was when I saw it fly a short distance. Lots of theories from poop to paint but thought I would lay it out before a broader audience. Thoughts?

[Paul Guris]

My vote is for "poop". It's not easy staying clean in a cormorant colony, unless you're living on the top floor.

[John Chardine]

Me too. Cormorants are amongst the poopiest birds I worked with.

[Paul Guris]

"Cormorants are amongst the poopiest birds I worked with."

That's why I hate dealing with you professional ornithologists. You're always SO technical. Next thing you know you're going to tell me that the area of black feathers where the underwing meets the body on a Black-bellied Plover isn't called the "wingpit". I've never looked it up, but I'm sure that must be right.

[John Chardine]

Of course Paul I would never say s h i t e in public!

[Paul Guris]

Sure, John. Not until you dropped a 500mm lens on your foot while wearing just sandals.

[john jackson]

Storks do this to their legs to cool themselves. Maybe cormorants too?