Neotropical Cormorant (Nannopterum brasilianum)

OTHER NAMES: Olivaceous Cormorant
Latin Etymology:  Nannopterum ("small wing") brasilianum ("of Brazil")

Neotropical Cormorant (Nannopterum brasilianum) at Tarcoles, Costa Rica - November 2025

Featured Subspecies: Nannopterum brasilianum brasilianum
Weight: 1.1-1.5kg  /  Length: 64cm  /  Wingspan: 100cm
NO UK STATUS / IUCN Red List: Least Concern

As the name so conveniently implies, the Neotropical Cormorant is the common cormorant of much of Central and South America, with a range that extends up into the Gulf of Mexico. Similarly to the Great Cormorant in Japan, it has been used by the Uru People of Peru for fishing. Unusually for a cormorant, it can sometimes be found perching on wires.

Related Species:
Order: Suliformes
Family: Phalacrocoracidae
Genus: Nannopterum
SUBSPECIES: N. b. mexicanum, N. b. brasilianum

 - Sighting Locations -

COSTA RICA - Spanish - Cormorán Neotropical 

A locally common species at the Coast and estuaries
 - COSTA RICA 2025 TRIP: Numerous at Tarcoles

Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto

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Double-crested Cormorant (Nannopterum auritum)

OTHER NAMES: N/A
Latin Etymology: Nannopterum ("small wing") auritum ("eared")

Non-breeding Double-crested Cormorant (subspecies N. a. albociliatum)  at Berkeley, California - August 2022

Featured Subspecies: Nannopterum auritum albociliatum
Weight: 1.2-2.5kg  /  Length: 70-90cm  /  Wingspan: 132cm
NO UK STATUS / IUCN Red List: Least Concern

The Double-crested cormorant is the common cormorant species of North America, and in non breeding plumage is similar to the Great Cormorants found in much of the rest of the world. However, in breeding plumage it grows its namesake "double crest" which give it something the look of the stereotypical mad professor with big tufts of feathers on each side of the head.

Related Species:
Related Species:
Order: Suliformes
Family: Phalacrocoracidae
Genus: Nannopterum
SUBSPECIES: N. a. albocoliatum, N. a. auritum, N. a. cincinnatum, N. a. floridanum, N. a. heuretum

 - Sighting Locations -

UNITED STATES 

Found in all the Lower 48 and Southern Alaska
 - CALIFORNIA 2022 TRIP: Seen at Berkeley, Monterey and San Francisco

 Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto

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Brandt's Cormorant (Urile penicillatus)

OTHER NAMES: N/A
Latin Etymology: Urile (Russian name for Red-faced cormorant) penicillatus ("painter's brush")

Non-breeding Brandt's Cormorant (Urile penicillatus) at Monterey, California - September 2022

Featured Subspecies: N/A
Weight: 2.2kg  /  Length: 70-79cm  /  Wingspan: 124cm
NO UK STATUS / IUCN Red List: Least Concern

Brandt's Cormorant is a marine cormorant species found exclusively on the West Coast of North America, in breeding plumage it has a very distinctive bright blue throat which is uses for display, as well as fine hair like feather along its back which give it it's latin name of pencillatus as they evoke a painters brush.

Related Species:
Order: Suliformes
Family: Phalacrocoracidae
Genus: Urile
SUBSPECIES: none - monotypic 

 - Sighting Locations -

UNITED STATES 

Resident along the West Coast of the Lower 48
 - CALIFORNIA 2022 TRIP: Seen at Monterey 

Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto

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Little Cormorant (Microcarbo niger)

OTHER NAMES: Javanese Cormorant
Latin Etymology: Microcarbo ("small charcoal") niger ("black")

Two adult non-breeding plumage Little Cormorant (Microcarbo niger) at Prek Toal, Cambodia - February 2019

Featured Subspecies: N/A
Weight: 360-525g  /  Length: 55cm  /  Wingspan: 90cm
NO UK STATUS / IUCN Red List: Least Concern

A small and somewhat stubby looking cormorant of Southern Asia, the Little Cormorant is one of the "microcarbo" genus of the family, having only been divided up in 2010.  These birds, of which the Little is fairly typical, are much smaller than the rest of the family, shorter billed and more daintily proportioned.  The Little shares it's range and often actual habitat with both the Great and Indian Cormorants, so apparently has enough of a niche that it isn't out competed by those larger species.

Related Species:
Order: Suliformes
Family: Phalacrocoracidae
Genus: Microcarbo
SUBSPECIES: none - monotypic 

 - Sighting Locations -

CAMBODIA - Khmer name - ក្អែកទឹកតូច ("Little cormorant")

A locally common resident.

 - CAMBODIA/SINGAPORE 2019 TRIP: Common at Prek Toal

Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto .

Indian Cormorant (Phalacrocorax fuscicollis)

OTHER NAMES: Indian Shag
Latin Etymology: Phalacrocorax ("cormorant ; bald raven") fuscicollis ("dusky/brown")

Flock of non-breeding Indian Cormorant (Phalacrocorax fuscicollis) at Prek Toal, Cambodia - February 2019

Featured Subspecies: N/A
Weight: 600-790g  /  Length: 63cm  /  Wingspan: ?
NO UK STATUS / IUCN Red List: Least Concern

The Indian Cormorant is a fairly small freshwater cormorant found in various fragmented locations in southern Asia.  Notably, compared to other cormorant species I've seen up to this point, it feeds in small communal flocks who dive together in groups.  It's non-breeding plumage resembles that of a great cormorant, while in breeding plummage it has a mostly black appearance causing it to more resembling a shag, perhaps explaining why it is known as both indian cormorant and indian shag.

Related Species:
Order: Suliformes
Family: Phalacrocoracidae
Genus: Phalacrocorax
SUBSPECIES: none - monotypic 

 - Sighting Locations -

CAMBODIA - Khmer -  ក្អែកទឹកមធ្យម ("Average Cormorant")

A locally common resident.

 - CAMBODIA/SINGAPORE 2019 TRIP: Common at Prek Toal

Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto .

Pelagic Cormorant (Urile pelagicus)

OTHER NAMES: Baird's Cormorant, Violet-green Cormorant

Latin Etymology: Urile (Russian name for Red-faced cormorant) pelagicus ("marine/pelagic")

                             Winter plumage Pelagic Cormorant (subspecies P. p. pelagicus) at Shiranuka, Japan - December 2014

Featured Subspecies: Urile pelagicus pelagicus

Weight: 1.4-2.4kg  /  Length: 64-89cm  /  Wingspan: 100cm

ABSENT FROM UK / IUCN Red List: Least Concern

The Pelagic Cormorant is a fairly small cormorant found around the rim of the Northern Pacific, from Southern Japan to Mexico. I saw this species twice, both times in Hokkaido.  Despite the name, both of the individuals I saw were close in to shore, the former close out on the sea, and this second individual that the picture above shows one that was feeding inside Shiranuka harbour itself.

Related Species:
Order: Suliformes
Family: Phalacrocoracidae
Genus: Urile
Subspecies: U. p. pelagicus, U. p. resplendens

 - Sighting Locations -

JAPAN - Japanese - ヒメウ  /  Hime-u ("Princess Cormorant")

Widespread Coastal Resident

 - TOKYO/HOKKAIDO 2014 TRIP: Seen at Shiranuka (1 Winter plumage adult, on the sea) and Akkeshi (1 Winter Plumage adult, on the sea)

UNITED STATES 
Found along the Pacific Coast
 - CALIFORNIA 2022 TRIP: Seen at San Francisco and on Half Moon Bay Pelagic Trip

Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto .

Japanese Cormorant (Phalacrocorax capillatus)

OTHER NAMES: Temminck's Cormorant

Latin Etymology: Phalacrocorax ("cormorant ; bald raven") capillatus ("hairy")

                      Ten Japanese Cormorant (Phalacrocorax capillatus) in various states of plumage at Kamakura, Japan - November 2014

Featured Subspecies: N/A
Weight: 2.3-3.3kg  /  Length: 92cm  /  Wingspan: 152cm
ABSENT FROM UK / IUCN Red List: Least Concern

The Japanese Cormorant is a close relation of the Great Cormorant, however, unlike them, it has a far more restricted range, found around the Far East - Taiwan, Japan, the Korean Penninsula and Siberia.  In this range, the Great Cormorant tends to be primarily a freshwater species while the Japanese Cormorants are saltwater species.  They look largely similar to the Great Cormorant, but have a slight greenish tinge to the plumage and a different structure of the bill.

Related Species:
Order: Suliformes
Family: Phalacrocoracidae
Genus: Phalacrocorax
Subspecies: None - monotypic

- Sighting Locations -

JAPAN - Japanese - ウミウ  /  Umi-u ("Sea cormorant")

Locally abundant resident of rocky coasts.

 - TOKYO/HOKKAIDO 2014 TRIP: Abundant at Kamakura and Shiranuka.

Further Notes:  BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto

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Great Cormorant (Phalacrocorax carbo)

OTHER NAMES: Cormorant, Black-Cormorant, White-Breasted Cormorant
Latin Etymology: Phalacrocorax ("cormorant ; bald raven") carbo ("charcoal")

       

 Adult Great Cormorant (subspecies P. c. sinensis or P. c. carbo or hybrid) at Kensington Gardens - March 2010

Features Subspecies: Phalacrocorax carbo sinensis or carbo or hybrid of the two

Weight: 2.5kg  /  Length: 80-100cm  /  Wingspan: 121-160cm

UK GREEN LIST / IUCN Red List: Least Concern

The cormorant is a very widespread bird, and can be seen practically anywhere in the country where near suitable bodies of water - it is in fact one of the few birds that I've seen in every major location I've photographed in (although a single solitary bird flying over Geddington marks the only bird there). It can be found along the entire coast, and up major rivers. It can also increasingly be found inland. For the closest views of this bird, I'm inclined to recommend the London Parks - as with any other bird, the necessity of living in closer proximity to humans than ones in the countryside makes them considerably less flighty, and thus suitable for closer photographs, although you should of course still not go close enough to cause them distress.  In Japan, the Great Cormorant is primarily a freshwater species, and is replaced in the coastal habitat by the very similar Japanese Cormorant.

Related Species:
Order: Suliformes
Family: Phalacrocoracidae
Genus: Phalacrocorax
Subspecies: P. c. carbo, P. c. novaehollandiae, P. c. sinensis, P. c. hanedae, P. c. maroccanus, P. c. lucidus

- Sighting Locations -

UNITED KINGDOM - Common to Locally abundant Breeding Resident (9000 pairs) and Common Winter Visitor (41000 birds)

 - Birds seen commonly at a large number of sites, including but not limited to Rutland Water, Trevose Head, Rainham Marshes, Regent's Park, Kensington Gardens, Pitsford Reservoir, Ditchford Gravel Pits and Eyebrook Reservoir. Occassional flyover in Geddington.

CAMBODIA - Khmer - ក្អែកទឹកធំ ("Cormorant")

A locally common resident.

 - CAMBODIA/SINGAPORE 2019 TRIP: Common at Prek Toal

JAPAN - Japanese - カワウ / Kawa-u ("River Cormorant")

 Locally common resident - subspecies P. c. hanedae. Mostly freshwater only, replaced on the coast by the Japanese Cormorant.

 - KYOTO 2013 TRIP: Commonly seen on the Kamo River in Central Kyoto and at Arashiyama. 

 - TOKYO/HOKKAIDO 2014 TRIP: Seen on rivers in Central Tokyo.

SPAIN - Spanish - Cormorán grande ("Large Cormorant")

Scarce and Local Resident

 - MADRID 2016 TRIP: Seen flying over Monfrague National Park.

Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto

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European Shag (Gulosus aristotelis)

OTHER NAMES: Shag, Green Shag, Common Shag, Green Cormorant
Latin Etymology: Gulosus ("glutton") aristotelis (name for Aristotle)
                             Four European Shag (subspecies P. a. aristotelis) on The Farne Islands, Northumbria - July 2009

Featured Subspecies: Guloses aristotelis aristotelis

Weight: 1.75-2.25kg  /  Length: 68-78cm  /  Wingspan: 95-110cm

UK GREEN LIST / IUCN Red List: Least Concern

Unlike its relation the Great Cormorant, the Shag is very much a coastal bird - and can be best sighted along Western and Northern coasts. While at a distance it can be difficult to distinguish it from Great Cormorants by general impression, the main difference is the darker green tinged colouration and lack of any white upon it, plus, when visible, the crest which Great Cormorants lack. For best views, I'd suggest the Farne Islands as you can get some truly close up views of the birds nesting right next to the path, but you can get good views from clifftops in good light on many suitable coastlines.

Related Species: 
Order: Suliformes
Family: Phalacrocoracidae
Genus: Guloses
Subspecies: G. a. aristotelis, G. a. desmarestii, G. a. riggenbachi

 - Sighting Locations -

UNITED KINGDOM - Locally common breeding species (27,000 pairs) and locally common Winter Migrant (110,000 birds)

 - Birds seen in their Summer territories at Trevose Head and visibly breeding on the Farne Islands.

Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto

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