Great Cormorant vs Greater Flamingo
Phalacrocorax carbo compared with Phoenicopterus roseus
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Great Cormorant | Greater Flamingo |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Phalacrocorax carbo | Phoenicopterus roseus |
| Order | Suliformes | Phoenicopteriformes |
| Family | Phalacrocoracidae | Phoenicopteridae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | 90.0 cm (35.4 in) | 130.0 cm (51.2 in) |
| Wingspan | 145.0 cm (57.1 in) | 160.0 cm (63.0 in) |
| Weight | 2600.0 g (91.71 oz) | 3500.0 g (123.46 oz) |
| Diet | Fish caught by diving from the surface. Pursues prey underwater using powerful feet for propulsion. … | Algae, diatoms, brine shrimp, and small crustaceans filtered from shallow alkaline or saline water. Carotenoid … |
| Clutch Size | 1-7 | 1-3 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Size Comparison
Habitat Comparison
Great Cormorant
Coasts, estuaries, lakes, rivers, and reservoirs. Nests in colonies in trees, on cliffs, or on the ground.
Greater Flamingo
Shallow alkaline or saline lakes, coastal lagoons, mudflats, and salt pans. Requires large undisturbed areas for breeding colonies.
Song & Call Comparison
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.
Greater Flamingo
Loud, nasal goose-like honking 'ka-ha' calls, often in chorus at breeding colonies. Also gives softer gabbling and grunting sounds while feeding and preening.
Geographic Range & Migration
Great Cormorant
Very wide range across Europe, Asia, Africa, and Australasia. One of the most widespread cormorant species.
Greater Flamingo
Africa, southern Europe, the Middle East, and the Indian subcontinent. Irregular visitor to northern Europe.
Conservation Status
Great Cormorant
Greater Flamingo
How to Tell Them Apart
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
Greater Flamingo
Predominantly white-pink plumage with bright crimson-pink wing coverts revealed in flight. Long pink legs and a sinuous neck. Intensity of color depends on diet.
Large, downward-bent bill — pink with a black tip, adapted for filter feeding
About These Birds
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.
Greater Flamingo
The greater flamingo is the most widespread flamingo species and one of the most recognizable birds in the world. Their pink color comes entirely from carotenoid pigments in their crustacean and algal diet. Flamingos are social birds that breed in enormous colonies sometimes numbering tens of thousands.