Great Cormorant vs Bounty Islands Shag
Phalacrocorax carbo compared with Leucocarbo ranfurlyi
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Great Cormorant | Bounty Islands Shag |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Phalacrocorax carbo | Leucocarbo ranfurlyi |
| Order | Suliformes | Suliformes |
| Family | Phalacrocoracidae | Phalacrocoracidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Vulnerable |
| Length | 90.0 cm (35.4 in) | — |
| Wingspan | 145.0 cm (57.1 in) | 52.4 cm (20.6 in) |
| Weight | 2600.0 g (91.71 oz) | 2475.0 g (87.30 oz) |
| Diet | Fish caught by diving from the surface. Pursues prey underwater using powerful feet for propulsion. … | -- |
| Clutch Size | 1-7 | 2-3 |
| 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.
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.
Bounty Islands Shag
Geographic Range & Migration
Great Cormorant
Very wide range across Europe, Asia, Africa, and Australasia. One of the most widespread cormorant species.
Bounty Islands Shag
Conservation Status
Great Cormorant
Bounty Islands 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
Bounty Islands 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.
Bounty Islands Shag
60–65 cm. Black and white pied shag; orange facial caruncles; pink feet. Endemic to Bounty Islands, New Zealand subantarctic. Vulnerable; total population fewer than 600 birds on remote barren islets. Feeds on fish in cold surrounding waters; does not disperse far from breeding islands.