Great Cormorant

Phalacrocorax carbo

Order PELECANIFORMES - Family PHALACROCORACIDAE

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1. Cool Facts
2. Description
3. Similar Species
4. Sound
5. Range
6. Habitat
7. Food
8. Behavior
9. Reproduction
10. Conservation Status
11. Other Names

The Great Cormorant is the most widely distributed of all the cormorants, breeding in Europe, Asia, Africa, and Australia. In North America, however, it is restricted to just the Atlantic Coast, breeding in only a few colonies from Maine to Greenland.

Cool Facts

• The Great Cormorant feeds principally on bottom-living fish of many kinds that it catches by surface-diving to depths of 35 meters (115 feet), although usually it dives less than 10 meters (33 feet).
• The scientific name of the Great Cormorant, Phalacrocorax is from the Greek ?bald-headed raven,? and carbo is Latin for ?charcoal? (black).

Description

• Size: 84-90 cm (33-35 in)
• Wingspan: 130-160 cm (51-63 in)
• Weight: 2600-3700 g (91.78-130.61 ounces)

• Large, dark water bird.
• Long body and long neck.
• Medium-sized bill is blunt or hooked at tip.
• White patch at base of bill.

• Skin at base of bill yellow.
• White patch on thigh during breeding.
• Eyes green (emerald or turquoise).
• Bill dark gray with yellowish base.
• Legs and feet black.

Sex Differences

Sexes look alike; males slightly larger and with larger bill.

Immature

Juvenile with dirty brown neck and white belly; variable, may be uniformly mottled. Shows only hint of white face patch. Skin at base of bill yellowish.

Similar Species

• Double-crested Cormorant smaller and slimmer, has orange facial skin without white border; immature with chest paler than belly.

Sound

Makes guttural calls at nesting sites, and fewer at roosts; otherwise usually silent.

»listen to songs of this species

Range

Summer Range

Breeds along coast from Maine northward to Newfoundland. Nonbreeding individuals may occur southward to New Jersey. Also in Europe, Asia, Africa, Australia, and New Zealand.

Winter Range

Winters from Maritime Provinces southward along the Atlantic Coast to the Carolinas. Also in Europe, Asia, Africa, Australia, and New Zealand.

Habitat

Breeds along rocky maritime coasts, nesting on cliff ledges or rocky islands free of predators, and feeding in sheltered inshore waters. Winters along coast.

Food

Fish.

Behavior

Foraging

Dives from the surface of the water and chases prey underwater. Grabs fish in bill, without spearing it.

Reproduction

Nest Type

On rocks, nest is a mound or heap of seaweed and sticks; in trees, nest is a solid stick structure lined with grasses and feathers. Nests colonially, often with Double-crested Cormorants and gulls.

Egg Description

Pale bluish green with white chalky covering.

Clutch Size

Usually 3-5 eggs. Range: 1-7.

Condition at Hatching

Naked and helpless, with black skin.

Conservation Status

Populations greatly reduced in 19th century, probably from direct persecution; increased since early 20th century. Numbers in northwestern Atlantic not changing rapidly at present.

Other Names

Grand Cormoran (French)
Cormorán Grande (Spanish)
European Cormorant, Cormorant (British) (English)

Sources used to construct this page:

Hatch, J. J., K. M. Brown, G. G. Hogan, and R. D. Morris. 2000. Great Cormorant (Phalacrocorax carbo). In The Birds of North America, No. 553 (A. Poole and F. Gill, eds.). The Birds of North America, Inc., Philadelphia, PA.