Great Cormorant vs Pelagic Cormorant
Phalacrocorax carbo compared with Urile pelagicus
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Great Cormorant | Pelagic Cormorant |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Phalacrocorax carbo | Urile pelagicus |
| 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) | 50.9 cm (20.0 in) |
| Weight | 2600.0 g (91.71 oz) | 1767.3333333333333 g (62.34 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.
Pelagic Cormorant
Geographic Range & Migration
Great Cormorant
Very wide range across Europe, Asia, Africa, and Australasia. One of the most widespread cormorant species.
Pelagic Cormorant
Conservation Status
Great Cormorant
Pelagic 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
Pelagic 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.
Pelagic Cormorant
63–73 cm. Small, slim cormorant; entirely glossy green-black; narrow bill; slender neck. Breeds along Pacific coasts from Baja California to NE Russia on rocky cliffs. Feeds on small fish in kelp beds. Least gregarious North Pacific cormorant; nests in small scattered groups.