Great Cormorant vs Turquoise-fronted Amazon
Phalacrocorax carbo compared with Amazona aestiva
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Great Cormorant | Turquoise-fronted Amazon |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Phalacrocorax carbo | Amazona aestiva |
| Order | Suliformes | Psittaciformes |
| Family | Phalacrocoracidae | Psittacidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Near Threatened |
| Length | 90.0 cm (35.4 in) | 36.0 cm (14.2 in) |
| Wingspan | 145.0 cm (57.1 in) | 55.0 cm (21.7 in) |
| Weight | 2600.0 g (91.71 oz) | 400.0 g (14.11 oz) |
| Diet | Fish caught by diving from the surface. Pursues prey underwater using powerful feet for propulsion. … | Seeds, nuts, fruits, berries, and flowers. Feeds in tree canopy in noisy flocks. Occasionally raids … |
| Clutch Size | 1-7 | 1-5 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Size Comparison
Habitat Comparison
Shared Habitats
None
Great Cormorant only
Turquoise-fronted Amazon only
Great Cormorant
Coasts, estuaries, lakes, rivers, and reservoirs. Nests in colonies in trees, on cliffs, or on the ground.
Turquoise-fronted Amazon
Tropical and subtropical forests, woodland, savanna, and palm groves in South America.
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.
Turquoise-fronted Amazon
Loud, raucous squawking and screaming calls. Capable of impressive vocal mimicry including human speech. Contact call is a rolling 'arr-arr'. Highly vocal in social groups.
Geographic Range & Migration
Great Cormorant
Very wide range across Europe, Asia, Africa, and Australasia. One of the most widespread cormorant species.
Turquoise-fronted Amazon
Interior of South America including Brazil, Bolivia, Paraguay, and northern Argentina.
Conservation Status
Great Cormorant
Turquoise-fronted Amazon
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
Turquoise-fronted Amazon
Green body with a turquoise-blue forehead, yellow face, and red and blue wing patches. Red at the bend of the wing visible in flight.
Strong, hooked, dark grey upper mandible with a paler lower mandible
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.
Turquoise-fronted Amazon
The turquoise-fronted amazon is one of the most popular pet parrots in the world, prized for its ability to mimic human speech and its engaging personality. In the wild, these sociable parrots roost communally in large flocks and fly in pairs to feeding sites at dawn. Habitat loss and trapping for the pet trade threaten wild populations.