Eurasian Wren vs Great Cormorant
Troglodytes troglodytes compared with Phalacrocorax carbo
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Eurasian Wren | Great Cormorant |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Troglodytes troglodytes | Phalacrocorax carbo |
| Order | Passeriformes | Suliformes |
| Family | Troglodytidae | Phalacrocoracidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | 9.5 cm (3.7 in) | 90.0 cm (35.4 in) |
| Wingspan | 15.0 cm (5.9 in) | 145.0 cm (57.1 in) |
| Weight | 9.0 g (0.32 oz) | 2600.0 g (91.71 oz) |
| Diet | Insects and spiders, gleaned from dense vegetation, rock crevices, and bark. Active and restless forager. | Fish caught by diving from the surface. Pursues prey underwater using powerful feet for propulsion. … |
| Clutch Size | 3-9 | 1-7 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Size Comparison
Habitat Comparison
Eurasian Wren
Dense undergrowth in woodlands, gardens, hedgerows, and rocky areas. Prefers tangled vegetation close to the ground.
Great Cormorant
Coasts, estuaries, lakes, rivers, and reservoirs. Nests in colonies in trees, on cliffs, or on the ground.
Song & Call Comparison
Eurasian Wren
Extraordinarily loud for its tiny size: a rapid, powerful stream of trills, buzzes, and churring phrases. One of Europe's loudest songs by volume relative to body weight.
Great Cormorant
Deep, guttural grunts and 'karrr' calls at colonies. Bill-clicking and hissing in threat displays. Silent at sea. Colonial noise can be deafening during the breeding season.
Geographic Range & Migration
Eurasian Wren
Eurasia from Iceland and western Europe to Japan. The only wren species found outside the Americas.
Great Cormorant
Very wide range across Europe, Asia, Africa, and Australasia. One of the most widespread cormorant species.
Conservation Status
Eurasian Wren
Great Cormorant
How to Tell Them Apart
Eurasian Wren
Warm rufous-brown upperparts with fine dark barring. Pale buffy underparts with barred flanks. Short, often cocked tail.
Thin, slightly curved, dark brown bill
Great Cormorant
All black with a bronze-green gloss. White throat patch and white thigh patches in breeding season. Yellow-orange face patch around the bill base.
Long, hooked, dark bill with a yellow gape
About These Birds
Eurasian Wren
The Eurasian wren is one of the smallest birds in Europe but possesses an astonishingly loud song for its size. Males build multiple dome-shaped nests, from which the female selects one to line and use. In British folklore, the wren is known as the king of birds for outwitting the eagle in a flying contest.
Great Cormorant
The great cormorant is one of the most widespread seabirds in the world. Unlike most waterbirds, cormorants lack fully waterproof plumage, leading to the iconic pose of standing with wings spread open to dry. In Asia, cormorants have been used by fishermen to catch fish for over a thousand years.