About the Indian Cormorant
The Indian cormorant or Indian shag is a member of the cormorant family. It is found mainly along the inland waters of the Indian subcontinent but extends west to Sind and east to Thailand and Cambodia. It is a gregarious species that can be easily distinguished from the similar sized little cormorant by its blue eyes, small head with a sloping forehead and a long narrow bill ending in a hooked tip.
Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
ID tip
This medium-sized bronze brown cormorant is scalloped in black on the upper plumage, lacks a crest and has a small and slightly peaked head with a long narrow bill that ends in a hooked tip. The eyes are blue and it has bare yellow facial skin during the non-breeding season. Breeding birds have a short white ear tuft. In some plumages it has a white throat but the white is restricted below the gape unlike in the much larger great cormorant. Sexes are similar, but non-breeding adults and juveniles are browner.
Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where it lives
When to see it
Peak activity in January · a resident species across most of its range
Easily confused with
Australian Pied CormorantPhalacrocorax variusThe pied cormorant is predominantly black on its back and upper surface of the wings and white on the underside with males weighing approximately 2.2 kg (4.9 lb) and females 1.7 kg (3.7 lb).
Cape CormorantPhalacrocorax capensisThe Cape cormorant is a blue-black bird with a glossy shine.
Spotted ShagPhalacrocorax punctatusThe spotted shag is a medium-sized marine bird.
Side by side: Great Cormorant vs Indian Cormorant · Indian Cormorant vs Little Black Cormorant · Australian Pied Cormorant vs Indian Cormorant
Learn the Indian Cormorant for real
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