Brandt's Cormorant
Urile penicillatus
The Brandt's Cormorant (Urile penicillatus) is a common cormorants and shag found in 3 countries, weighing about 2.2 kg. Brandt's cormorant is a strictly marine bird of the cormorant family of seabirds that inhabits the Pacific coast of North America.
About the Brandt's Cormorant
Brandt's cormorant is a strictly marine bird of the cormorant family of seabirds that inhabits the Pacific coast of North America. It ranges, in the summer, from Alaska to the Gulf of California, but the population north of Vancouver Island migrates south during the winter. Its specific name, penicillatus is Latin for a painter's brush, in reference to white plumes on its neck and back during the early breeding season. The common name honors the German naturalist Johann Friedrich von Brandt of the Academy of Sciences at St. Petersburg, who described the species from specimens collected on expeditions to the Pacific during the early 19th century.
Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
How to identify it
The average size of a Brandt's cormorant is 4.6 pounds. They have a length of about 34 inches and their wingspan is 4 feet. During the breeding season, adults have a blue throat patch.
Where it lives
When to see it
The Brandt's Cormorant can be seen all year round, with peak activity in September. It is a resident species across most of its range.
Easily confused with
Quick questions
- How do you identify a Brandt's Cormorant?
- The average size of a Brandt's cormorant is 4.6 pounds. Full identification notes are on this page.
- How big is a Brandt's Cormorant?
- The Brandt's Cormorant is a huge sized bird weighing about 2.2 kg.
- Where can you see a Brandt's Cormorant?
- The Brandt's Cormorant occurs in 3 countries, including the United States, Canada and Mexico.
- What birds look similar to a Brandt's Cormorant?
- The Brandt's Cormorant is most easily confused with the Little Black Cormorant, the Reed Cormorant and the Little Cormorant.
- Is the Brandt's Cormorant endangered?
- The Brandt's Cormorant is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.
Learn the Brandt's Cormorant for real
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