mdahlem.net WWW

Aust birds    Bird names   News   1-26    Habitats    Key plants    Glossary    Plumage    Nests    Tips    Thumbnails    Gen. info    Sponsors    Photos for sale
NON-PASSERINES     1    2    3    4    5    6    7    8    9    10     11     12     13     14	15     16     17     18     19     20     21     22     23     24     25     26     PASSERINES
Common names sorted alphabetically: A   B   C   D   E   F   G   H   I   J   K   L   M   N   O   P   Q   R   S   T   W   Y

4

Pied Cormorant (Phalacrocorax varius) Alternate name(s): "Yellow-faced Cormorant", "Pied Shag", "Black-and-white Shag*" Aboriginal name(s): "madi" (WA) Size: 65-80 cm; wing span 1.0-1.5 m Weight: 1.4-2.2 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 Pied Cormorants are large, black-and-white cormorants. Their front is white, the back is black, the wings are scalloped dark-brown to black. Legs and feet are dark-grey, the bill is grey. During the breeding season there is a patch of yellow facial skin above the bill, they have a blue patch under the eyes and a pink skin patch under the gape. The only exception from the generally white frontal plumage is a black vertical thigh stripe. In eclipse the facial skin patches disappear, leaving the face all pale-yellow. Juvenile Pied Cormorants have a more brownish back and some greyish-brown streaking on the off-white front, in particular on the sides, near the border to the darker back.

Taxonomy, classification See Pied 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 Pied Cormorant is available HERE . The range of Pied Cormorants extends from Australia and New Zealand to parts of New Guinea. There are two extant races. Nominate race "varius" is found only in New Zealand and surrounding islands. Pied Cormorants, race "hypoleucos", are endemic to Australia (and, via islands along the Torres Strait, on the southern tip of New Guinea). They inhabit basically the entire coastal fringe of Australia, including Tasmania, and the northern tropics, plus the eastern half of the continent. They are not found in the arid interior of WA, the central and south-western NT and western SA. Pied Cormorants are mostly found on waters with large surfaces (both fresh and saline), such as offshore islands, beaches on the coastal fringe, estuaries and inland rivers. Where to look? How to find this species? It is important for all birds spending a lot of time under water, such as cormorants and darters, to dry and seal their plumage. They will often be seen on perches near the water's edge, such as rocks, dead branches, poles or lampposts, drying their plumage with extended wings.

Sightings Click here for sighting information Race "varius" For completeness' sake, we include here some basic information on Pied Cormorants of nominate race "varius". A. Ross-Taylor reports finding them nesting near Wellington, NZ, in May 2014. Race "hypoleucos" Pied Cormorants, race "hypoleucos", can be found regularly in the area where we live, near Narrabri, NSW, e.g. at Narrabri Lake. They have also been spotted by us in other wetlands around the area, e.g. at Yarrie Lake, about 30 km West of Narrabri, in October 2011. Together with many other aquatic birds, we saw Pied Cormorants, race "hypoleucos", on a boat trip on the Greenough River, South of Geraldton, WA, in July 2003. Pied Cormorants, race "hypoleucos", were also sighted on trips to the East of the Great Dividing Range, in the Clarence River downs and at Iluka, NSW, as well as the Urunga board walk, Urunga Heads, NSW. In August 2011 a small number of Pied Cormorants, race "hypoleucos", was spotted by us at Goran Lake, an ephemeral lake about 30 km South of Gunnedah, NSW. B. Hensen reports finding Pied Cormorants, race "hypoleucos", in Centennial Park, Sydney, where they are regularly found breeding. S. Kirkby reports seeing Pied Cormorants, race "hypoleucos", on the Ord River, northern WA, in June 2011. J. Thurmer repots spotting Pied Cormorants, race "hypoleucos", on Semaphore Beach, SA, in February 2009. J. Greaves reports spotting Pied Cormorants, race "hypoleucos", at Cape Borda, Kangaroo Island, SA, in March 2016, and at Alfred Cove, Swan River, Perth, WA, in January 2017. M. Eaton reports spotted a Pied Cormorant, race "hypoleucos", at Caloundra, QLD, in August 2017, and at Flat Rock, Ballina, NSW, in January 2023. P. Brown found a Pied Cormorant, race "hypoleucos", basking in the sun at Nitmiluk NP (Katherine Gorge), NT, in December 2017. D. Dyer reports that Pied Cormorants, race "hypoleucos", are commonly found along the coastline of WA near Cervantes.

Photos

Race "varius"

ADULT

Sex unknown

BREEDING

Close-up near-frontal view of a Pied Cormorant in breeding plumage on its nest (photo courtesy of A. Ross-Taylor)
[Near Wellington, NZ, May 2014]

Race "hypoleucos"

Not the photos you want? Or are you after even better quality? Have a look here .

ADULT

Sex unknown

BREEDING

Near-frontal view of a Pied Cormorant in breeding plumage (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Caloundra, QLD, August 2017]

Close-up lateral portrait of a Pied Cormorant in breeding plumage; note the brightness and the radiant colours of the facial skin (photo courtesy of J. Greaves)
[Cape Borda, Kangaroo Island, SA, March 2016]

Lateral view of a Pied Cormorant in breeding plumage; note the brightness and the radiant colours of the facial skin
(photo courtesy of J. Greaves)
[Cape Borda, Kangaroo Island, SA, March 2016]

Lateral view of a Pied Cormorant in breeding plumage (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Flat Rock, Ballina, NSW, January 2023]

Near-dorsal view of a Pied Cormorant in breeding plumage (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Flat Rock, Ballina, NSW, January 2023]

Dorsal view of a Pied Cormorant in breeding plumage (photo courtesy of J. Greaves)
[Alfred Cove, Swan River, Perth, WA, January 2017]

Comparison between a Pied Cormorant in breeding plumage and a Little Pied Cormorant (photo courtesy of C. Pears)
[Quindalup, WA, May 2021]

Lateral view of a Pied Cormorant in breeding plumage in flight (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Flat Rock, Ballina, NSW, February 2019]

NON-BREEDING

Near-frontal view of a Pied Cormorant in non-breeding plumage (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Lake Argyle, near Kununurra, WA, April 2018]

Near-frontal view of a Pied Cormorant in non-breeding plumage (photo courtesy of J. Thurmer)
[Semaphore Beach, SA, February 2009]

Lateral view of a Pied Cormorant in non-breeding plumage
[Yarrie Lake, near Wee Waa, NSW, October 2011]

Lateral view of two Pied Cormorants in breeding plumage; note the bright colours of their facial skin patches and eyerings; the black flanks distinguish them from Little Pied Cormorants
[Iluka NR, NSW, February 2012]

Lateral view of a Pied Cormorant in non-breeding plumage (photo courtesy of S. Kirkby)
[Ord River, WA, June 2011]

Dorsal view of a Pied Cormorant in non-breeding plumage
[Yarrie Lake, near Wee Waa, NSW, October 2011]

This photo of a Pied Cormorant in non-breeding plumage on Lake Argyle, which is a man-made water storage dam, gives a good impression of its size (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Lake Argyle, near Kununurra, WA, April 2018]

Group of four Pied Cormorants in flight
[Goran Lake, NSW, August 2011]

Great Cormorants and Pied Cormorants can be seen to fly together in one skein
[Near Moree, NSW, June 2013]

Pied Cormorant returning to its roost after a day's worth of fishing in coastal waters
[Old Bar, NSW, July 2013]

IMMATURE/JUVENILE

Lateral view of a juvenile Pied Cormorant; note the brownish back and the streaking on the side of the chest (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Nitmiluk NP (Katherine Gorge), NT, December 2017]

Near-dorsal view of a juvenile Pied Cormorant (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Nitmiluk NP (Katherine Gorge), NT, December 2017]

Breeding information

Breeding season: Dec - Jun

Eggs: 2 - 4

Incubation period: ca. 30 days

Fledging age: ca. 28 days

The breeding season of Pied Cormorants depends on geographical latitude. In principle they can breed at any time of year.

Nest building: Female & male

Incubation: Female & male

Dependent care: Female & male

Nest

"bungobittah", "lar", "malunna", "jindi" [bundjalung] = nest [Aboriginal]

Type: Basket

Material: Sticks

Height above ground: 0 - 10 m

Coastal nests can be on the ground, on rocks, while inland nests are usually built in trees. In coastal river estuaries nests can be at low height, e.g. in mangrove.

Pied Cormorant in breeding plumage on its nest with a chick (photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Centennial Park, Sydney, NSW, March 2013]

Example of colonial nesting of Pied Cormorants (photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Centennial Park, Sydney, NSW, March 2015]

Pied Cormorant in breeding plumage on its nest feeding a chick (photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Centennial Park, Sydney, NSW, March 2013]

Pied Cormorants in breeding plumage feeding their chicks - note the full crops (photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Centennial Park, Sydney, NSW, March 2014]

Pied Cormorant in breeding plumage feeding a chick - as the chicks grow older the process of feeding them can become a bit of a rowdy routine (photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Centennial Park, Sydney, NSW, May 2013]

Lateral view of a Pied Cormorant in breeding plumage carrying nesting material (photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Centennial Park, Sydney, NSW, January 2014]

Eggs

"boyanga", "booyanga", "derinya", "dirandil", "koomura", "mirk", "ngampu", "nooluk", "pateena", "pum-pum" = Egg; "dirundirri" = eggs [Aboriginal]; "gawu" = eggs [gamilaraay]

Size: 60 x 40 mm

Colour: Faint-blue, chalky

Shape: Long tapered oval

Behaviour

Social behaviour: Communal

Mobility: Dispersive

Elementary unit: Pair/flock

In the breeding season Pied Cormorants can be seen performing nuptial displays.

Lateral view of a Pied Cormorant's nuptial display (photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Centennial Park, Sydney, December 2013]

Food, Diet

Like most other members of the Phalacrocorax family, Pied Cormorants feed primarily on fish.

This Pied Cormorant may have taken a baitfish, with the hook it was on - the fishing line is still dangling from the bird's bill
(photo courtesy of A. Ross-Taylor)

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.

Disclaimer: Comments are always welcome. We give no guarantee that the information presented on these pages is always correct or up-to-date. External links are marked as such and we take no responsibility for the contents of external pages. All images on this site are protected by copyright & used by permission of the respective owners. If you wish to reproduce them or any of the material presented on this web site, please contact us: We hereby acknowledge the original custodians of the land which is described on these pages, including the Gomeroi/Gamilaraay people of the North-west Slopes and Plains of NSW, and the traditional owners of other lands and nations within this country. We acknowledge elders past, present and emerging. Sovereignty was never ceded.          Last updated: Sat, 27 May 2023, 7:51 +00:00