Phalacrocorax carbo
The Great Cormorant (Phalacrocorax carbo) is a large, imposing waterbird, typically measuring 80-100 cm in length with an impressive wingspan of 130-160 cm and weighing between 1.5-5.3 kg. Its plumage is predominantly glossy black, often exhibiting a metallic greenish or bronzy sheen, particularly evident in breeding adults. Distinctive field marks include a prominent yellow-orange patch at the base of the bill and extending onto the gular pouch, complemented by a white patch below the gape; ...
This highly adaptable species primarily inhabits coastal marine environments, estuaries, and large inland freshwater bodies such as lakes, rivers, and reservoirs, generally at low elevations.
The Great Cormorant's diet consists almost exclusively of fish, which it obtains through pursuit diving underwater.
Great Cormorants are diurnal, spending their days foraging and often congregating in large, noisy roosts on cliffs, trees, buoys, or even power lines, particularly at night. Their primary foraging strategy involves pursuit diving, where they plunge from the surface and propel themselves underwate...
The Great Cormorant boasts a vast Palearctic, Afrotropical, and Australasian distribution, breeding across much of Europe, Asia (from Scandinavia to Siberia and China), Africa, and Australasia including Australia and New Zealand. Northern populations are migratory, moving south for winter to warm...
Least Concern
- The Great Cormorant is one of the few bird species globally that has been historically trained by humans for fishing, a practice known as "cormorant fishing," particularly in East Asia. - Unlike most waterbirds, its feathers are not entirely waterproof, which helps it to dive more efficiently b...