Urile perspicillatus
The Spectacled Cormorant, *Urile perspicillatus*, was a colossal and enigmatic seabird, reaching an impressive length of up to 90-95 cm (35-37 inches) with a wingspan potentially exceeding 120 cm (47 inches) and weighing an estimated 3.5-4 kg (7.7-8.8 lbs), making it the largest cormorant known. Adults sported glossy black plumage with a metallic green sheen, contrasting with a thick, fleshy ring of white skin around their eyes – the distinctive 'spectacles' from which it derived its name. Th...
This species inhabited cold, rocky coastal environments, primarily nesting on isolated islands and cliffs of the Bering Sea, at elevations near sea level.
The Spectacled Cormorant primarily consumed fish and marine invertebrates, captured through agile underwater pursuit diving.
Limited direct observations of the Spectacled Cormorant's behavior exist due to its early extinction, but inferences can be made from related cormorant species and historical accounts. It was likely a diurnal species, spending much of its day foraging in the rich waters surrounding its island col...
The historical range of the Spectacled Cormorant was remarkably restricted, primarily confined to the Commander Islands (especially Bering Island and Medny Island) in the Bering Sea, off the coast of Kamchatka, Russia. While Steller's initial discovery was on Bering Island, bone evidence suggests...
Extinct
- The Spectacled Cormorant was the largest cormorant species ever known, reaching nearly a meter in length. - It was discovered in 1741 by Georg Wilhelm Steller, a naturalist on Vitus Bering's second Kamchatka expedition. - Steller described it as "so large and heavy that a single bird was a suff...