Little Pied Cormorant: how to recognise it
A bird of Asia and Oceania. Learn the marks that make it easy to identify, then practise with real photographs in Lore.
Practise with real photosAll species guides
Photo © Janne Kearney · CC BY-NC · iNaturalist · all photo credits
- Scientific name
- Microcarbo melanoleucos
- Family
- Cormorants and Shags
- Size
- About 60 cm
- Habitat
- Lakes, rivers, estuaries and coasts
- Found in
- Asia and Oceania
The key marks
A small, black-and-white cormorant with a short, stubby bill, white cheeks reaching above the eye, and white underparts. Pied Cormorant is much bigger, with a long bill and bare orange-yellow skin in front of the eye.
Voice
Mostly silent; soft croaks at the nest.
Good to know
It is often seen on a perch with its wings held open to dry, and it dives for fish in fresh and salt water.
Do not confuse with
Compare it with the Pied Cormorant. Look at the marks above one by one rather than the overall colour, and practise telling the two apart with real photos.
Where and when
You can expect to find it in lakes, rivers, estuaries and coasts. It is especially common in New Zealand and Australia. Distribution changes with the seasons and from year to year, so check a recent local observation source before you go looking.