Great Cormorant vs King Penguin
Phalacrocorax carbo comparé à Aptenodytes patagonicus
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribut | Great Cormorant | King Penguin |
|---|---|---|
| Nom scientifique | Phalacrocorax carbo | Aptenodytes patagonicus |
| Ordre | Suliformes | Sphenisciformes |
| Famille | Phalacrocoracidae | Spheniscidae |
| Statut de conservation | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Longueur | 90,0 cm (35.4 in) | 95,0 cm (37.4 in) |
| Envergure | 145,0 cm (57.1 in) | 64,0 cm (25.2 in) |
| Poids | 2600,0 g (91.71 oz) | 14000,0 g (493.84 oz) |
| Régime alimentaire | Fish caught by diving from the surface. Pursues prey underwater using powerful feet for propulsion. … | Primarily lanternfish and squid caught during deep dives. Routinely dives to 100-300 meters, sometimes exceeding … |
| Taille de la couvée | 1-7 | 1 |
| 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.
King Penguin
Breeds on sub-Antarctic islands with flat or gently sloping beaches. Forages in the Southern Ocean.
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.
King Penguin
Uses individually unique complex calls for mate and chick recognition in noisy colonies. Produces a loud, musical trumpeting. Chick whistles are distinctive per family unit.
Geographic Range & Migration
Great Cormorant
Very wide range across Europe, Asia, Africa, and Australasia. One of the most widespread cormorant species.
King Penguin
Sub-Antarctic islands including South Georgia, Crozet, Kerguelen, Macquarie, and Falkland Islands.
Statut de conservation
Great Cormorant
King Penguin
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
King Penguin
Dark blue-grey back with white belly. Vivid orange-gold auricular patches on the sides of the head and upper breast. Silvery-grey upperparts.
Long, slender, slightly decurved bill with orange mandible plates
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.
King Penguin
The king penguin is the second-largest penguin species, known for its striking orange-gold head markings. Unlike most penguins, king penguins do not build nests — they incubate their single egg on their feet. Their 14-16 month breeding cycle is the longest of any penguin species.