Species Profile

Great Cormorant

Phalacrocorax carbo

Quick Facts

Conservation

LCLeast Concern

Lifespan

15–20 years

Length

80–100 cm

Weight

1800–3000 g

Wingspan

130–160 cm

Migration

Partial migrant

A master diver that plunges into both freshwater and coastal habitats, this adaptable bird can be spotted on every continent except Antarctica.

Also known as: Black Cormorant, Large Cormorant

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Gallery

Appearance

The Great Cormorant is a large waterbird with predominantly glossy black plumage, often with a greenish or bluish sheen. Adults have a white throat and cheek patch, and during the breeding season, they develop white thigh patches and fine white plumes on the head and neck.

Juveniles are duller brown, with varying amounts of white on the underparts. The bird's distinctive features include its long, hooked bill, bright yellow-orange facial skin, and piercing turquoise-green eyes.

Identification & Characteristics

Colors

Primary: Black
Secondary: Brown
Beak: Grey
Legs: Black

Attributes

Agility85/100

Strength70/100

Adaptability80/100

Aggression60/100

Endurance75/100

Understanding Attributes

Rated 0–100 based on research and observation. A score of 50 is average across all bird species. These attributes are relative and don't necessarily indicate superiority.

Habitat & Distribution

Great Cormorants inhabit coastal areas, estuaries, and large inland water bodies across Europe, Asia, Africa, and parts of Australasia. They prefer areas with abundant fish and suitable perching or nesting sites, such as cliffs, islands, or trees near water.

In the UK, they are found along most coastlines and increasingly on inland waters. In North America, they are primarily coastal, with populations along the Atlantic and Pacific coasts.

Distribution

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Where to See This Bird

Explore regional guides for locations where this bird has been recorded.

United Kingdom

England

Northern Ireland

Scotland

Wales

Rutland

Cambridgeshire

Bedfordshire

Buckinghamshire

Berkshire

Bristol

Cheshire

Cornwall

Cumbria

Derbyshire

Devon

Dorset

Durham

East Riding of Yorkshire

Essex

East Sussex

Gloucestershire

Hampshire

Herefordshire

Hertfordshire

Isle of Wight

Kent

Merseyside

Lancashire

Leicestershire

Lincolnshire

London

Manchester

Northumberland

Norfolk

Northamptonshire

Nottinghamshire

North Yorkshire

Oxfordshire

South Yorkshire

Tyne and Wear

West Midlands

Suffolk

Shropshire

Somerset

Surrey

Staffordshire

Stockton-on-Tees

Warwickshire

Wiltshire

West Yorkshire

Worcestershire

West Sussex

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Diet

Great Cormorants primarily feed on fish, including both marine and freshwater species. They are opportunistic feeders, also consuming crustaceans, amphibians, and occasionally small birds.

These birds dive from the surface, pursuing prey underwater and catching it with their hooked bills.

Behaviour

Great Cormorants are excellent swimmers and divers, propelling themselves underwater with powerful webbed feet to catch fish. They are often seen perched on rocks or posts with wings spread, drying their feathers after diving. These birds are generally social, forming large breeding colonies and sometimes fishing in groups.

Calls & Sounds

Great Cormorants are generally silent away from breeding colonies. At nesting sites, they produce a variety of grunting, groaning, and hissing sounds. The most common call is a deep, guttural 'grock-grock-grock,' often heard during territorial disputes or courtship displays.

Nesting & Breeding

Great Cormorants typically breed in large, noisy colonies, often alongside other seabirds. Pair formation begins in late winter or early spring, with elaborate courtship displays involving wing-waving and gaping.

Nests are bulky structures made of sticks, seaweed, and other plant material, usually built on cliff ledges, in trees, or on the ground on islands. Females lay 3-4 pale blue eggs with a chalky coating.

Both parents incubate the eggs for about 28-31 days and care for the chicks. Young birds fledge after 50-55 days but remain fed by their parents for several weeks after leaving the nest.

Conservation

While the Great Cormorant is listed as Least Concern globally, some local populations face threats from habitat loss and persecution due to perceived competition with fisheries. Conservation efforts focus on protecting breeding sites and managing human-wildlife conflicts in fishing areas.

LCLeast Concern

^[1]

Population

Estimated: 1,400,000 - 2,100,000 mature individuals^[3]

Trend: Increasing^[2]

Elevation

Sea level to 1,500 meters

Additional Details

Predators:: Adult Great Cormorants have few natural predators, but eggs and chicks are vulnerable to gulls, crows, and birds of prey. In some areas, foxes and rats may raid ground nests.

Birdwatching Tips

Look for cormorants perched with spread wings on coastal rocks or inland waterways.
Observe diving behavior - they submerge completely and can stay underwater for up to a minute.
Listen for their distinctive grunting calls, especially near breeding colonies.
In the UK, check reservoirs and gravel pits for inland populations.

Did You Know?

Great Cormorants can dive to depths of up to 45 meters in pursuit of fish.
Their feathers are less waterproof than those of other waterbirds, which reduces buoyancy and helps them dive deeper.
In some Asian countries, cormorants have been trained for centuries to fish for humans in a practice called cormorant fishing.
There are over 30 species of cormorants across the world, with just two species, the great cormorant and the common shag, resident in the UK.