Great Cormorant vs Flightless Cormorant
Phalacrocorax carbo compared with Nannopterum harrisi
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Great Cormorant | Flightless Cormorant |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Phalacrocorax carbo | Nannopterum harrisi |
| 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) | 37.8 cm (14.9 in) |
| Weight | 2600.0 g (91.71 oz) | 3241.6666666666665 g (114.35 oz) |
| Diet | Fish caught by diving from the surface. Pursues prey underwater using powerful feet for propulsion. … | -- |
| Clutch Size | 1-7 | 1-4 |
| 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.
Flightless Cormorant
Geographic Range & Migration
Great Cormorant
Very wide range across Europe, Asia, Africa, and Australasia. One of the most widespread cormorant species.
Flightless Cormorant
Conservation Status
Great Cormorant
Flightless Cormorant
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
Flightless Cormorant
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.
Flightless Cormorant
89–100 cm. Dark brown; vestigial wings unsuited for flight; bright turquoise eyes. Endemic to Galapagos Islands (Fernandina and Isabela). Only flightless cormorant; Vulnerable with about 1,000 pairs. Feeds on fish and octopus by diving near shore; no natural land predators historically.