Phalacrocorax sulcirostris
The Little Black Cormorant (*Phalacrocorax sulcirostris*) is a sleek, medium-sized waterbird renowned for its glossy black plumage and highly social behavior. Measuring approximately 55-65 cm (22-26 inches) in length with a wingspan of 80-90 cm (31-35 inches) and weighing between 500-1000 grams, it is notably smaller and more slender than many of its cormorant relatives. Its distinctive features include an entirely black body with a subtle green or purple sheen in good light, a long, slender ...
This species primarily inhabits freshwater and coastal wetlands, including lakes, rivers, swamps, estuaries, and sheltered marine waters. It favors areas with emergent vegetation or dead trees for roosting and nesting, typically found at low elevations.
Their diet consists primarily of small to medium-sized fish, complemented by crustaceans and aquatic invertebrates. They forage by pursuit diving, often cooperatively in large flocks.
The Little Black Cormorant is a highly social and diurnal species, often found in large flocks that can number in the hundreds or even thousands. They are exceptional pursuit divers, employing remarkable synchronized foraging strategies where groups of birds will herd fish into a concentrated are...
The Little Black Cormorant boasts a wide distribution across the Australasian and Indo-Pacific regions. Its primary breeding and year-round range encompasses most of Australia, New Zealand, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, Timor-Leste, and extends to the Solomon Islands and New Caledonia. While large...
Least Concern
- Little Black Cormorants are masters of cooperative fishing, often forming large 'fishing lines' or 'nets' of hundreds of birds to herd and catch fish in a synchronized effort. - Despite their fully aquatic lifestyle, their feathers are not entirely waterproof, necessitating frequent sun-basking...