Great Cormorant
Phalacrocorax carbo
The Great Cormorant (Phalacrocorax carbo) is a common cormorants and shag found in 144 countries, weighing about 2.5 kg. The great cormorant, also known as just cormorant in Britain, as black shag or kawau in New Zealand, formerly also known as the great black cormorant across the Northern Hemisphere, the black cormorant in Australia, and the large cormorant in India, is a widespread member of the cormorant family of seabirds.
About the Great Cormorant
The great cormorant, also known as just cormorant in Britain, as black shag or kawau in New Zealand, formerly also known as the great black cormorant across the Northern Hemisphere, the black cormorant in Australia, and the large cormorant in India, is a widespread member of the cormorant family of seabirds. It breeds in much of the Old World, Australasia, and the Atlantic coast of North America.
Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
How to identify it
The great cormorant is a large bird, but there is a wide variation in size in the species' wide range. Weight is reported to vary from 1.5 kg (3 lb 5 oz) to 5.3 kg (11 lb 11 oz). Males are typically larger and heavier than females, with the nominate race P. c. carbo averaging about 10% larger in linear measurements than the smaller subspecies P. c. sinensis. The lightest average weights cited are in Germany (P. c. sinensis), where 36 males averaged 2.28 kg (5 lb 1⁄2 oz) and 17 females averaged 1.94 kg (4 lb 4+1⁄2 oz). The highest come from Prince Edward Island in Canada (P. c.
What the Great Cormorant sounds like
Where it lives
Recorded as a rare visitor in Cape Verde, Palau, Brunei.
When to see it
The Great Cormorant can be seen all year round, with peak activity in January. It is a resident species across most of its range.
Easily confused with
Quick questions
- How do you identify a Great Cormorant?
- The great cormorant is a large bird, but there is a wide variation in size in the species' wide range. Full identification notes are on this page.
- How big is a Great Cormorant?
- The Great Cormorant is a huge sized bird weighing about 2.5 kg.
- Where can you see a Great Cormorant?
- The Great Cormorant occurs in 144 countries, including Sweden, the United Kingdom, Norway, France and Spain.
- What does a Great Cormorant sound like?
- You can listen to 3 field recordings of the Great Cormorant on this page, contributed to xeno-canto under open licences.
- What birds look similar to a Great Cormorant?
- The Great Cormorant is most easily confused with the Little Black Cormorant, the Australian Pied Cormorant and the Indian Cormorant.
- Is the Great Cormorant endangered?
- The Great Cormorant is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.
Learn the Great Cormorant for real
BeakBrain drills you on photos and calls until you can greet this bird by name in the field. Free to play, on any device.
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