Pygmy Cormorant vs Great Pied Cormorant

Microcarbo pygmaeus compared with Phalacrocorax varius

Side-by-Side Comparison

Attribute Pygmy Cormorant Great Pied Cormorant
Scientific Name Microcarbo pygmaeus Phalacrocorax varius
Order Suliformes Suliformes
Family Phalacrocoracidae Phalacrocoracidae
Conservation Status Least Concern Least Concern
Length
Wingspan 40.2 cm (15.8 in) 59.1 cm (23.3 in)
Weight 693.3333333333334 g (24.46 oz) 1868.1666666666667 g (65.90 oz)
Diet -- --
Clutch Size 2-8 1-5
Population Trend

Habitat Comparison

Shared Habitats

Pygmy Cormorant only

None

Great Pied Cormorant only

None

Conservation Status

Least Concern

Pygmy Cormorant

Least Concern

Great Pied 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.

Great Pied Cormorant

75–85 cm. Black above with white face and underparts; yellow bill. Resident in Australia and New Zealand in coastal and inland freshwater habitats. The largest Australasian cormorant; often called Pied Cormorant. Feeds on fish; highly adaptable to freshwater and marine environments.

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