Phalacrocoracidae

Cormorants

The family of Phalacrocoracidae can be divided into two groups: the Cormorants and the Shags. The division into these two groups is based on ecological, behavioral and physiological characteristics (Johnsgard, 1993). All Cormorants, Shags and Darters have a small bone at the back of the skull, the occipital style. This bone is flexibly attached to the skull and is supposed to have a function for the grasping ability of these birds.

The ramphotecal coating of the  bills of the cormorants are divided in plates, very much like those of the tubenoses, without visible nostrils. See also anatomy page.

This page deals with the seventeen species of the ‘true’ cormorants of the genus Phalacrocorax. Formerly there were several different genera such as: Phalacrocorax, Microcarbo, Hypoleucus and Compsohalieus, but presently only the single genus Phalacorcorax. (Johnsgard, 1993) is recognized

Cormorants can be found on inland and coastal waters and vary very much in size, from the small Long-tailed to the very large, but extinct Pallas’ Cormorant.

Genus Phalacrocorax

• Long-tailed Cormorant, Phalacrocorax africanus, two subspecies

•    P. a. africanus, resident interior Africa

•    P. a. pictilis, resident interior Madagascar, possibly separate species

• Crowned Cormorant, Phalacrocorax coronatus, sometimes considered a subspecies of P. africanus; coastlines of Namibia and South Africa

• Pygmy Cormorant, Phalacrocorax pygmaeus, south-east Europe, Turkey, Iraq, Iran and Black, Caspian and Aral Sea area

• Javanese Cormorant, Phlacrocorax niger, sometimes considered to be a subspecies of P. pymgmaeus, India and South-east Asia, Sumatra and Java, inland and coastal.

• Little Pied Cormorant, Phalacrocorax melanoleucos, three subspecies

•    P. m. melanoleucos, resident Lesser Sundas and Sulawesi, New Guinea, Solomons, New Caledonia and Australia.

•    P. m. brevicauda, endemic to Renell Island (Solomons)

•    P. m. brevirostris, endemic to New Zealand, inland and coastal

• Pallas’ Cormorant, Phalacrocorax perspicillatus, extinct, endemic to Commander Is.

• Brandt’s Cormorant, Phalacrocorax pencillatus, North American west coast from Baja California up to British Columbia.

• Galapagos Cormorant, Phalacrocorax harrisi, Endemic to Galapagos Is.

• Bank Cormorant, Phalacrocorax neglectus, Resident of Namibia to the Cape of South Africa, coastal.

• Black-faced Cormorant, Phalacrocorax fuscescens, South Australian Coast

Black-faced Cormorant, Phalacrocorax fuscescens Kingscote, Australia   Culmen: ca. 51 mm, total: 119.4 mm, occipital style missing, unsexed adult

• Neotropic (Olivaceous) Cormorant, Phalacrocorax brasilianus: two subspecies:

•    P. b. mexicanus, southern USA to Nicaragua and some Caribbean islands.

•    P. b. brasilianus, Costa Rica down to Terra de Fuego, inland and coastal.

Neotropic (Olivaceous) Cormorant, Phalacrocorax brasilianus ssp. brasilianus Salango, Equador   Culmen: 53. mm, , total (ex. occ. style): 111,6 mm, unsexed adult

• Double-crested Cormorant Palacrocorax auritus, North America, five subspecies:

•    White-crested Cormorant P a. cincinatus, Aleutians and Alaska, coastal

•    Farallon Cormorant P. a. albociliatus, British Columbia down to Baja California, coastal

•    Northern Double-crested Cormorant P. a. auritus, Alberta to Central USA and East Coast from Labrador to Massachusetts

•   Florida Cormorant P. a. floridanus, North Carolina, Florida to Texas, Cuba and probably Bahamas

•    P. a. heuretus, resident on San Salvador I., Bahamas.

• Indian Cormorant, Phalacrocorax fuscicollis, India to Indochina and Sri Lanka, inland and coastal.

• Pied Cormorant Phalacrocorax varius, two subspecies:

•    P. v. hypoleucos, resident inland and coastal Australia, sometimes Tasmania.

•    P. v. varius, coastal New Zealand

• Little Black Cormorant Phlacrocorax sulcirostris, Java and New Guinea to Australia and New Zealand

• Great Cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo, six subspecies:

• Atlantic Cormorant P. c. carbo, Northern Europe to North African coast and eastern North American coast and Greenland.

• Eurasian Cormorant P. c. sinensis, Netherlands, northern Central Europe to China.

•    P. c. hanedae, Japan.

•    P. c. maroccanus, coastal north-western Africa.

•   White-breasted Cormorant P. c. lucidus, Cape Verde Is., South Africa, inland lakes in Central Africa.

•    Black Cormorant P. c. novaehollandiae, Australia, Tasmania, 

•    Black Cormorant  P. c. steadi (sometimes considered separate subspecies) New Zealand and the Chatham Is.

• Japanese Cormorant, Phalacrocorax capillatus, Japan, Korea, coastal China.

Literature:

• Johnsgard, P.A., 1993, Cormorants, Darters, and Pelicans of the World, Smithsonian Institute, Washington/London.

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