Pygmy Cormorant vs Japanese Cormorant

Microcarbo pygmaeus compared with Phalacrocorax capillatus

Side-by-Side Comparison

Attribute Pygmy Cormorant Japanese Cormorant
Scientific Name Microcarbo pygmaeus Phalacrocorax capillatus
Order Suliformes Suliformes
Family Phalacrocoracidae Phalacrocoracidae
Conservation Status Least Concern Least Concern
Length — —
Wingspan 40.2 cm (15.8 in) 62.9 cm (24.8 in)
Weight 693.3333333333334 g (24.46 oz) 2837.5 g (100.09 oz)
Diet -- --
Clutch Size 2-8 4-5
Population Trend — —

Habitat Comparison

Shared Habitats

Pygmy Cormorant only

Japanese Cormorant only

None

Conservation Status

Least Concern

Pygmy Cormorant

Least Concern

Japanese Cormorant

About These Birds

Pygmy Cormorant

45–55 cm. Small; dark brown with chestnut head and neck in breeding; pale yellow throat. Resident across eastern Europe, Middle East, and Central Asia in freshwater lakes and rivers. Vulnerable; declining due to wetland degradation. Feeds on small fish by diving.

Japanese Cormorant

84 cm. Large; black with white facial spots and white flanks in breeding; yellow gape. Breeds on rocky coasts of Japan, Korea, and northeastern China. Resident; feeds on fish in cold Pacific waters. Trained for cormorant fishing (ukai) in Japan for centuries.

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