4

Black-faced Cormorant (Phalacrocorax fuscescens) Alternate name(s): "White-breasted Cormorant", "Black-and-white Shag*", "Black-faced Shag" Size: 60-70 cm; wing span 1 m Body mass: 1.0-1.8 kg

Australia: Family Group 4 Family Group 4 Table Australian Pelican Red-tailed Tropicbird White-tailed Tropicbird Great Frigatebird Lesser Frigatebird Australasian Gannet Masked Booby Red-footed Booby Brown Booby Darter Great Cormorant Little Black Cormorant Little Pied Cormorant Pied Cormorant Black-faced Cormorant Imperial Shag Thumbnails page Family group table Index of bird names Habitat pages Key plants Birds home page

Similar species

Description     Classification     Distribution     Sightings     Photos     Breeding     Nest     Eggs     Behaviour     Food     Call/s

Physical description Click here for a physical description Black-faced Cormorants are medium-sized, all black-and white cormorants. Apart from the base of the bill, the entire front, from the throat down to the undertail coverts, is white. They have a prominent black cap and facial mask that encompasses the eyes. The sides of the head, from the ear coverts down to the sides of the neck, are white. During the breeding season the nape of the neck is black mottled with short white nuptial plumes (which then appears to be grey when seen from a distance). The nuptial plumes disappear in eclipse. The entire back, from the mantle to the uppertail, including the wings, is charcoal-black. The flight feathers have a brownish tinge. Black-faced Cormorants have black The irises are turquoise. The slender, downcurved bill is grey; the sturdy legs and fully webbed feet are also grey. Juvenile Black-faced Cormorants have duller colours, with a brownish tinge on the back and also brown irises. The sides of the neck are finely streaked.

Taxonomy, classification See Black-faced Cormorant at Wikipedia .

Range, habitat, finding this species Click here for information on habitat and range The overall distribution of this species can be assessed, and specific locations where birds have been spotted can be found, based on individual sighting reports submitted by birdwatchers to ebird.org . The global distribution of the Black-faced Cormorant is available HERE . Black-faced Cormorants are endemic to Australia. They populate parts of the Australian South coast, ranging from about the NSW/VIC border in the East to Cape Leeuwin, WA, in the West. Their range also includes the entire coastline of Tasmania and basically all islands along Bass Strait and the Australian South coast. Black-faced Cormorants have a preference for coastal waters. They are often found on rockshelves on the mainland coastline and small off-shore islands. They also make extensive use of manmade structures, such as jetties, lampposts, marinas, buoys, beacons etc. in harbours.

Sightings Click here for sighting information J. Greaves reports spotting Black-faced Cormorants at Kingscote, Kangaroo Island, SA, in March 2016. R. Plumtreereports finding an immature Black-faced Cormorant at Ensay, East Gippsland, VIC, in January 2018. This location is outside the species' nominal coastal range. M. Eaton found Black-faced Cormorants at Dunalley, TAS, in April 2021. Another was found in Hobart, TAS, in September 2024. C. Pears reports spotting Black-faced Cormorants on various small islands near the southern tip of Tasmania and around Bruny Island, TAS, in Juanary 2023.

Photos

ADULT

Sex unknown

BREEDING

Close-up lateral portrait of a Black-faced Cormorant in breeding plumage; note the white nuptial plumes at the nape of the neck (photo courtesy of J. Greaves)
[Kingscote, Kangaroo Island, SA, March 2016]

Lateral view of a Black-faced Cormorant drying its breeding plumage (photo courtesy of J. Greaves)
[Kingscote, Kangaroo Island, SA, March 2016]

Two Black-faced Cormorants preening; breeding plumage on the left, non-breeding plumage on the right
(photo courtesy of J. Greaves)
[Kingscote, Kangaroo Island, SA, March 2016]

Direct comparison of three different species of cormorants: Black-faced Cormorant, left to centre, Pied Cormorant, second from right, and Little Pied Cormorant, right (photo courtesy of J. Greaves)
[Kingscote, Kangaroo Island, SA, March 2016]

NON-BREEDING

Frontal view of a Black-faced Cormorant in non-breeding plumage (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Dunalley, TAS, April 2021]

Frontal view of a Black-faced Cormorant in non-breeding plumage (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Dunalley, TAS, April 2021]

Close-up near-lateral view of a Black-faced Cormorant in non-breeding plumage looking sideways
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Hobart, TAS, September 2024]

Close-up near-lateral view of a Black-faced Cormorant in non-breeding plumage (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Hobart, TAS, September 2024]

Close-up lateral view of a Black-faced Cormorant in non-breeding plumage (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Dunalley, TAS, April 2021]

Close-up lateral view of a Black-faced Cormorant in non-breeding plumage (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Hobart, TAS, September 2024]

Lateral view of a Black-faced Cormorant in non-breeding plumage (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Dunalley, TAS, April 2021]

Near-dorsal view of a Black-faced Cormorant in non-breeding plumage (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Dunalley, TAS, April 2021]

Close-up dorsal view of a Black-faced Cormorant in non-breeding plumage (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Dunalley, TAS, April 2021]

Immature Little Pied Cormorant, front, with two Black-faced Cormorants behind - in breeding plumage, left, and non-breeding plumage (note the entirely black nape of the neck), right (photo courtesy of J. Greaves)
[Kingscote, Kangaroo Island, SA, March 2016]

IMMATURE/JUVENILE

Frontal view of a juvenile Black-faced Cormorant (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Dunalley, TAS, April 2021]

Near-frontal view of a juvenile Black-faced Cormorant; note the brown edge-lining on the wing feathers and the characteristic fine streaking on the neck and cheeks (photo courtesy of R. Plumtree)
[Ensay, East Gippsland, VIC, January 2018]

Dorsal view of a juvenile Black-faced Cormorant with its head turned (photo courtesy of R. Plumtree)
[Ensay, East Gippsland, VIC, January 2018]

Behaviour

Social behaviour: Communal

Mobility: Sedentary

Elementary unit: Mob/flock

Black-faced Cormorants are the only exclusively coastal and marine species of cormorants in Australia. They do not venture inland anywhere.

Preening Black-faced Cormorants in non-breeding plumage (photo courtesy of C. Pears)
[Off southern Tasmania, January 2023]

Small mob of Black-faced Cormorants in non-breeding plumage resting on a rock platform (photo courtesy of C. Pears)
[Off southern Tasmania, January 2023]

Small mob of Black-faced Cormorants in non-breeding plumage on a tiny rocky island (photo courtesy of C. Pears)
[Off southern Tasmania, January 2023]

These pages are largely based on our own observations and those of our contributors. The structure of these bird pages is explained HERE. For more salient facts on any bird species please refer to a field guide.

Would you like to contribute photos or sound recordings to this site? If interested, please CLICK HERE. Credits to contributors are given HERE.