Birds · Suliformes · Phalacrocoracidae

Pygmy Cormorant

Microcarbo pygmaeus

Least Concern

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

The pygmy cormorant is the smallest cormorant in Europe, with a long tail and a short bill that give it a silhouette quite unlike the great cormorant's. It depends on freshwater wetlands with dense reedbeds and flooded trees in which to breed in colonies, often mixed with herons. It was in severe decline through wetland drainage and persecution, and has recovered remarkably quickly over recent decades thanks to the protection of deltas and lagoons.

Weight

500 g – 900 g

Size

45 cm – 55 cm

Lifespan

12 years

Diet

Carnivore

Feeds mainly on other animals.

Activity

Diurnal

Active mainly during the day.

Social structure

Colony

Lives in large concentrations, often for breeding reasons.

Sighting difficulty

Easy

FreshwaterCarnivore Diurnal Colonial Bird Freshwater

15countries 14parks12same family

Fun facts

It is one of the fastest recovery stories in recent European birdlife: it went from threatened to Least Concern within a few decades, thanks to the protection of the great wetlands of the Danube, the Black Sea and the Balkans.
It breeds in mixed colonies with herons, night herons and spoonbills, taking advantage of the colony's collective watch against raptors.

Life cycle & biology

Skeleton type: Vertebrate - internal bony skeleton (bird)
Habitat & environment: Deltas, lagoons, freshwater marshes and slow rivers with reedbeds in south-eastern Europe and western Asia
Sexual maturity: 2 years
Gestation / incubation: 28 days of incubation
Litter / clutch size: 5 eggs

Sources consulted: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pygmy_cormorant