Species guide
Great Cormorant: how to recognise it
A bird seen on most continents. Learn the marks that make it easy to identify, then practise with real photographs in Lore.
Practise with real photosAll species guides
Photo © Дмитрий Осипов · CC BY-NC · iNaturalist · all photo credits
- Scientific name
- Phalacrocorax carbo
- Family
- Cormorants and Shags
- Size
- About 77–94 cm
- Habitat
- Coasts, lakes and rivers
- Found in
- Europe, Africa, Asia, North America and Oceania
The key marks
A large, black, goose-sized waterbird with a hooked bill and a white throat and yellow face patch. It often stands with wings held out to dry.
Voice
Mostly silent; low croaks at colonies.
Good to know
It dives for fish, and its feathers soak up water, so it has to dry them in the sun.
Where and when
You can expect to find it in coasts, lakes and rivers. It is especially common in Türkiye, the Netherlands, Greece and Japan. Distribution changes with the seasons and from year to year, so check a recent local observation source before you go looking.