Aperçu du régime alimentaire du Grand Cormoran (Phalacrocorax carbo) dans les eaux intérieures du Pas-de-Calais (France)

The stomach contents of 40 great cormorants shot during "regulation" operations in the Pas-de-Calais have been analysed. Eight stomachs were empty and 426 fishes belonging to 15 species were recovered in the others. The dominant prey is the roach. Other regular prey are the common bream and the perch. Other fish (Salmonids, pike, pikeperch, ruffe, rudd, lamprey) appear in less than 5 stomachs. Most of the prey are small sized fish, less than 12 cm (total length). The biomass of 80% of the preys is less than 20g. However, the role of the greater fish in the diet must be emphasized: those weighing more than 200g (1% in numbers) reprensent 20% of the ingested biomass.