Birds · Suliformes · Phalacrocoracidae

Great Cormorant

Phalacrocorax carbo

Least Concern

The species is abundant and widely distributed; it faces no significant short-term risk. See full glossary

In Japan and China it has traditionally been trained by fishermen to catch fish while a ring around its neck stops it swallowing them, a centuries-old practice known as 'ukai'. It incubates its eggs using its own webbed feet.

Weight

2.2 kg – 4 kg

Size

84 cm – 1 m

Lifespan

12 years

Diet

Piscivore

Feeds mainly on fish.

Activity

Diurnal

Active mainly during the day.

Social structure

Colony

Lives in large concentrations, often for breeding reasons.

Sighting difficulty

Easy

OceanFreshwaterPiscivore Diurnal Colonial Bird Ocean Freshwater

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Fun facts

adaptaciónIts feathers are not fully waterproof, which reduces its buoyancy and makes diving easier, but obliges it afterwards to spread its wings in the sun to dry.

Life cycle & biology

Skeleton type: Vertebrate - pneumatised bony skeleton (bird)
Habitat & environment: Coastal waters, lakes and rivers of Europe, Asia, Africa, Australia and eastern North America
Birth weight: 48.5 grams
Size at birth: Naked and blind on hatching (altricial)
Sexual maturity: 3-5 years
Gestation / incubation: 27-31 days
Litter / clutch size: 1 to 7 eggs per clutch (most commonly 3-5)

Sources consulted: AnAge; Oiseaux-birds.com; EBSCO Research Starters; BirdLife International; Animal Diversity Web; Audubon Field Guide; Outdoor Alabama; PMC