Great Cormorant vs Little Black Cormorant
Phalacrocorax carbo compared with Phalacrocorax sulcirostris
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Great Cormorant | Little Black Cormorant |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Phalacrocorax carbo | Phalacrocorax sulcirostris |
| Order | Suliformes | Suliformes |
| Family | Phalacrocoracidae | Phalacrocoracidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | 90.0 cm (35.4 in) | — |
| Wingspan | 145.0 cm (57.1 in) | 49.8 cm (19.6 in) |
| Weight | 2600.0 g (91.71 oz) | 971.6666666666666 g (34.27 oz) |
| Diet | Fish caught by diving from the surface. Pursues prey underwater using powerful feet for propulsion. … | -- |
| Clutch Size | 1-7 | 3-4 |
| 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.
Little Black Cormorant
Geographic Range & Migration
Great Cormorant
Very wide range across Europe, Asia, Africa, and Australasia. One of the most widespread cormorant species.
Little Black Cormorant
Conservation Status
Great Cormorant
Little Black 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
Little Black 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.
Little Black Cormorant
55–65 cm. All-black; glossy green-blue; bare black facial skin. Widespread across Australia, New Zealand, and Southeast Asia in freshwater and marine environments. Highly gregarious; nests colonially in trees. Feeds on fish by pursuit-diving; often seen drying wings on posts.