Bird Guide

Double-crested Cormorant vs Flightless Cormorant

Double-crested Cormorant (Nannopterum auritum)

Double-crested Cormorant

Nannopterum auritum

1.8 kgMarine

The double-crested cormorant is a large waterbird with a stocky body, long neck, medium-sized tail, webbed feet, and a medium-sized hooked bill. It has a body length of between 70 and 90 cm (28 and 35 in) long, with a wingspan of between 114 and 123 cm (45 and 48 in). Double-crested cormorants weigh between 1.2 and 2.5 kg (2.6 and 5.5 lb). Males and females do not display sexual dimorphism. This species has dark-colored plumage with bare supra-loreal skin and gular skin that is yellow or orange.

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Sonogram of the Double-crested Cormorant
Recorded by Jonathon Jongsma · Call · Powderhorn Park, Minneapolis, Hennepin, Minnesota, United States · CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: lwolfartist · CC BY 2.0
Flightless Cormorant (Nannopterum harrisi)

Flightless Cormorant

Nannopterum harrisi

Huge3.0 kgMarine

The flightless cormorant is the largest extant member of its family, 89–100 cm (35–39.5 in) in length and weighing 2.5–5.0 kg (5.5–11.0 lb), and its wings are about one-third the size that would be required for a bird of its proportions to fly. The keel on the breastbone, where birds attach the large muscles needed for flight, is also significantly reduced. Like all cormorants, this bird has webbed feet and sturdy legs that propel it through the water as it seeks its prey of fish, small octopuses, and other little marine creatures.

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: James Preston · CC BY 2.0

Learn this pair in the BeakBrain App

Photo and call practice. Coming soon to iPhone and Android.

Play today's Daily Bird

Photos and recordings are credited to their authors under the licence shown. Full profiles: Double-crested Cormorant and Flightless Cormorant.