One of the 13 cormorants on WAnimals
Birds · Suliformes · Phalacrocoracidae
Long-tailed Cormorant
Microcarbo africanus
Least Concern
The species is abundant and widely distributed; it faces no significant short-term risk.
The reed cormorant, or long-tailed cormorant, is the smallest cormorant in Africa, black with a long tail and a short yellowish bill. Unlike its larger relatives it prefers shallow fresh water with vegetation, and often fishes among the papyrus and reeds rather than in open water. It is common in almost every wetland on the continent.
Weight
400 g – 700 g
Size
50 cm – 55 cm
Life expectancy
12 years
