Pygmy Cormorant vs Little Black Cormorant

Microcarbo pygmaeus compared with Phalacrocorax sulcirostris

Side-by-Side Comparison

Attribute Pygmy Cormorant Little Black Cormorant
Scientific Name Microcarbo pygmaeus Phalacrocorax sulcirostris
Order Suliformes Suliformes
Family Phalacrocoracidae Phalacrocoracidae
Conservation Status Least Concern Least Concern
Length
Wingspan 40.2 cm (15.8 in) 49.8 cm (19.6 in)
Weight 693.3333333333334 g (24.46 oz) 971.6666666666666 g (34.27 oz)
Diet -- --
Clutch Size 2-8 3-4
Population Trend

Habitat Comparison

Shared Habitats

Pygmy Cormorant only

None

Little Black Cormorant only

None

Conservation Status

Least Concern

Pygmy Cormorant

Least Concern

Little Black 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.

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.

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