Great Cormorant vs Heard Shag
Phalacrocorax carbo compared with Leucocarbo nivalis
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Great Cormorant | Heard Shag |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Phalacrocorax carbo | Leucocarbo nivalis |
| Order | Suliformes | Suliformes |
| Family | Phalacrocoracidae | Phalacrocoracidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Not Evaluated |
| Length | 90.0 cm (35.4 in) | — |
| Wingspan | 145.0 cm (57.1 in) | — |
| Weight | 2600.0 g (91.71 oz) | 2931.0 g (103.39 oz) |
| Diet | Fish caught by diving from the surface. Pursues prey underwater using powerful feet for propulsion. … | -- |
| Clutch Size | 1-7 | 2-4 |
| 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.
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.
Heard Shag
Geographic Range & Migration
Great Cormorant
Very wide range across Europe, Asia, Africa, and Australasia. One of the most widespread cormorant species.
Heard Shag
Conservation Status
Great Cormorant
Heard Shag
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
Heard Shag
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.
Heard Shag
63 cm. Black above; white below; orange caruncles. Endemic to Heard Island and McDonald Islands, remote Australian sub-Antarctic territory. Vulnerable; population of only a few thousand in a very restricted range. Feeds on fish and invertebrates in cold surrounding ocean.