noun
great cormorant
A large cormorant species (Phalacrocorax carbo) found in rivers and coasts across Japan.
カワウが川で魚を捕っている。
A great cormorant is catching fish in the river.
鵜 is the general term for cormorants; カワウ specifies the great cormorant species.
Compound of 川 (kawa, 'river') and 鵜 (u, 'cormorant'). The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the name reflects its habitat.