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4

Great Cormorant

(Phalacrocorax carbo)
Alternate name(s): "Black Cormorant", "Black Shag",
"Large Black Cormorant", "Great Black Cormorant"
German name(s): "Kormoran"

Size: 70-102 cm; wingspan: 1.2-1.6 m
Weight: 1.2-3.0 kg

Similar
species

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

Physical description

Click here for a physical description

Taxonomy, classification

See Great Cormorant at Wikipedia .

Range, habitat, finding this species

Click here for information on habitat and range

Sightings

Click here for sighting information

Photos

Race "carbo"

IMMATURE/JUVENILE

Near-frontal view of a juvenile Great Cormorant drying its wings (photo courtesy of C. Pears)
[Ballina, County Mayo, Ireland, September 2023]

Lateral view of several first-year Great Cormorants on a rock (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Skjervoy, near Tromso, Norway, June 2018]

Dorsal view of a juvenile Great Cormorant; the greyish-brown front of the neck shows that this bird is still young
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Near Wadebridge, Cornwall, England, September 2019]

Race "sinensis"

ADULT

Sex unknown

BREEDING

Frontal view of a Great Cormorant in breeding plumage with nuptial flush (photo courtesy of G. Normand)
[Bois de Vincennes, 12th district, Paris, March 2019]

Lateral portrait of a Great Cormorant in breeding plumage with nuptial flush; note the white neck, nuchal tuft, orange/bronze facial skin and the spots around the eye-ring (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Tejo estuary, Portugal, March 2019]

Lateral view of a Great Cormorant in breeding plumage with nuptial flush; note the white thigh patches, the white neck, nuchal tuft, orange/bronze facial skin and the spots around the eye-ring (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Sesimbra, Setubal, Portugal, February 2018]

Lateral view of a Great Cormorant in breeding plumage with nuptial flush looking away from the observer
(photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Sorraia River, Santa Justa, Coruche, Santarem, Portugal, February 2019]

Lateral view of a Great Cormorant in breeding plumage (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Sesimbra, Setubal, Portugal, February 2020]

Lateral view of a Great Cormorant in breeding plumage (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Sorraia River, Santa Justa, Coruche, Santarem, Portugal, March 2020]

Lateral view of 3 Great Cormorants in breeding plumage, with a juvenile in front (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Fishing port, Sesimbra, Setubal, Portugal, January 2022]

NON-BREEDING

Close-up near-frontal view of an adult Great Cormorant in non-breeding plumage, with a juvenile behind
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[November 2017]

Near-lateral view of a Great Cormorant in non-breeding plumage (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Mora, Evora, Portugal, February 2022]

Lateral view of a Great Cormorant in non-breeding plumage (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Coruche, Santarem, Portugal, February 2018]

Lateral view of a Great Cormorant looking backwards (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Raia river, Mora, Evora, Portugal, January 2021]

Near-dorsal view of a Great Cormorant in non-breeding plumage on a convenient perch (photo courtesy of R. Normand)
[Near Marseille, Provence-Alpes-Cote d'Azur, France, in August 2019]

Near-dorsal view of a Great Cormorant drying its plumage (photo courtesy of H. Dahlem-Senger)
[River Rhine, Schierstein, Rheingau, Germany, March 2013]

Dorsal view of a Great Cormorant in non-breeding plumage (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Mora, Evora, Portugal, December 2022]

Dorsal view of a Great Cormorant drying its plumage (photo courtesy of H. Dahlem-Senger)
[River Rhine, Schierstein, Rheingau, Germany, March 2013]

Flock of Great Cormorants roosting on a sandbank (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Montargil, Alentejo, Portugal, February 2017]

Overview of a small group of Great Cormorants (photo courtesy of H. Dahlem-Senger)
[Fehmarn, Germany, January 2015]

Comparison between 2 Great Cormorants, right, in non-breeding plumage with five European Shags, left to centre
(photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Sagres, Algarve, Portugal]

Great Cormorants in non-breeding plumage in comparison with a Great [White] Egret (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Santa Justa, Coruche, Portugal, November 2018]

Frontal view of a Great Cormorant landing on water (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Mora, Evora, Portugal, December 2013]

Near-lateral view of a Great Cormorant in non-breeding plumage in flight (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Raia river, Mora, Evora, Portugal, October 2022]

Near-lateral/ventral view of a Great Cormorant in flight (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Ribeira das Enguias, Tejo estuary, Portugal, February 2023]

Lateral view of a Great Cormorant in flight (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Coruche, Santarem, Portugal, January 2018]

Small flock of Great Cormorants in flight (photo courtesy of D. Wilczynska)
[River Bug, near Brok, Masovia, Poland, March 2019]

Part of a large flock of Great Cormorants in flight (photo courtesy of H. Dahlem-Senger)
[River Rhine, Eltville, Hessen, Germany, August 2022]

Near-dorsal/ventral view of a Great Cormorant in flight (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Douro river, Porto, Portugal, November 2021]

Dorsal view of a Great Cormorant in flight (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Vila Franca de Xira, Tejo estuary, Portugal, November 2021]

IMMATURE/JUVENILE

Close-up near-frontal view of an adult Great Cormorant with a juvenile behind (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[November 2017]

Adult Great Cormorant, front left, with a juvenile behind and a first-year immature bird, front right, all in comparison with a Grey Heron (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[November 2017]

First-year immature Great Cormorants with a juvenile, front centre, and behind it a non-breeding adult
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Mequinenza, Zaragoza, Aragon, Spain, September 2019]

Lateral view of a first-year immature(?) Great Cormorant (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Sorraia River, Santa Justa, Coruche, Santarem, Portugal, September 2019]

Dorsal view of a first-year immature Great Cormorant drying its plumage (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Tejo river, Trafaria, Almada, Portugal, February 2014]

Frontal view of a juvenile Great Cormorant looking sideways (photo courtesy of H. Dahlem-Senger)
[River Mosel, between Reil and Pünderich, Rheinland-Pfalz, Germany, May 2022]

Near-frontal to near-lateral view of juvenile Great Cormorants (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Sesimbra, Setubal, Portugal, March 2018]

Near-lateral view of a juvenile Great Cormorant (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Mora, Evora, Portugal, May 2019]

Lateral view of a juvenile Great Cormorant (photo courtesy of H. Dahlem-Senger)
[River Mosel, between Reil and Pünderich, Rheinland-Pfalz, Germany, May 2022]

Lateral view of a juvenile Great Cormorant (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Mora, Evora, Alentejo, Portugal, January 2020]

Lateral view of a juvenile Great Cormorant (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Sorraia River, Santa Justa, Coruche, Santarem, Portugal, September 2019]

Lateral view of a juvenile Great Cormorant (photo courtesy of M. Thomas)
[Skagen, Jütland, Denmark, September 2019]

Additional information

More photos of Great Cormorants, race "sinensis", were taken by us in Oman.

Race "carboides"

Photos of Great Cormorants, race "carboides", were taken by us in Australia.

Breeding information

Breeding season: Feb - Aug? Eggs: 3 - 5 Incubation period: 28 - 31 days Fledging age: ca. 49 days

Nest building: Male (& female) Incubation: Female & male Dependent care: Female & male

Nest

Type: Basket Material: Sticks Height above ground: 0 - 10 m

The males will usually select the nest site and collect nest material. Nests can be on the ground, e.g. on rock ledges, or in major forks of trees.

Small breeding colony of Great Cormorants; the birds were active on their nests at the end of February, in biting cold conditions (photo courtesy of H. Dahlem-Senger)
[River Rhine, between Eltville and Ruedesheim, Hessen, Germany, February 2023]

Part of a small breeding colony of Great Cormorants (photo courtesy of H. Dahlem-Senger)
[River Rhine, between Eltville and Ruedesheim, Hessen, Germany, February 2023]

Pair of Great Cormorants at their nest (photo courtesy of H. Dahlem-Senger)
[River Rhine, between Eltville and Ruedesheim, Hessen, Germany, February 2023]

Eggs

Size: 63 x 41 mm Colour: White, with green or blue tint Shape: Long tapered oval

Behaviour

Small flock of Great Cormorants preparing to hunt fish collectively (photo courtesy of D. Wilczynska)
[Lake Dlugie Wigierskie, Wigry NP, Masurias, Poland, August 2017]

Food, Diet

Great Cormorant with its catch, a fish (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Mora, Evora, Portugal, November 2014]

Juvenile Great Cormorant swallowing its prey (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Sapal de Castro Marim, Vila Real de Santo Antonio, Algarve, Portugal, September 2020]

Call(s)/Song

For this species we have recorded the following call(s)/song. The interpretation of their meaning is our own; comments and suggestions for improvement are welcome.

grtcorm_20170701.m4a carboides
(NW NSW)
Arrival © MD
 
grtcorm_dw_20170815.m4a sinensis
(Poland)
? (flock) © DW
grtcorm_dw_20170815_1.m4a sinensis
(Poland)
? (flock) © DW

More Great Cormorant sound recordings are available at xeno-canto.org .

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.