Phalacrocoracidae is a family of approximately 40 species of aquatic birds commonly known as cormorants and shags. Cormorants and shags are foot-propelled divers that grasp their piscine prey with sharply hooked bills. Possessing poorly waterproofed plumage, they never wander far from shore, but they can be found on all but the most polar coasts, and inland on freshwater rivers and lakes. 

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