Black-faced Cormorant (Phalacrocorax fuscescens)
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Black-faced Cormorant

Phalacrocorax fuscescens (Vieillot, 1817)

1.5 kgWeight

The black-faced cormorant (Phalacrocorax fuscescens), also known as the black-faced shag, is a medium-sized member of the cormorant family.

Busiest months: May, September and November · Most records: Australia

Least Concern

Where and when it's recorded

Black-faced Cormorant has been recorded at 17 of the 8,171 birding hotspots we track, in 1 country or region.

Records by month Southern Hemisphere

Where it's recorded most

  1. Eaglehawk Neck Pelagic TripAustralia1,735 records
  2. Western Treatment PlantAustralia170 records
  3. Jawbone Flora and Fauna ReserveAustralia40 records
More places
  1. Goulds Lagoon Wildlife SanctuaryAustralia30 records
  2. Ricketts PointAustralia13 records
  3. Tamar Island WetlandsAustralia10 records
  4. Rhyll InletAustralia9 records
  5. InalaAustralia8 records
  6. Western Treatment Plant – Western LagoonsAustralia5 records
  7. CoolartAustralia4 records

Countries and regions with the most records

Australia

eBird records via GBIF up to 2024-12-31. A record means someone listed it; more records partly mean more birders, not more birds.

About

The black-faced cormorant (Phalacrocorax fuscescens), also known as the black-faced shag, is a medium-sized member of the cormorant family. Upperparts, including facial skin and bill, are black, with white underparts. It is endemic to coastal regions of southern Australia.

Excerpt from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0 · authors · Read more on Wikipedia

Questions

How big is the Black-faced Cormorant?

The Black-faced Cormorant weighs around 1.5 kg.

Where does the Black-faced Cormorant live?

Its breeding range: Australasia: coasts of southern Western Australia to southeastern New South Wales, Bass Strait islands and Tasmania (southern Australia). It is most often recorded in Australia.

When is the best time to see the Black-faced Cormorant?

At the hotspots we track, it is recorded most in May, September and November (Southern Hemisphere).

Is the Black-faced Cormorant endangered?

The IUCN Red List classifies the Black-faced Cormorant as Least Concern.

What does the Black-faced Cormorant eat?

Main food: Fish, shrimp & shellfish.

What family is the Black-faced Cormorant in?

It belongs to the family Cormorants, Shags (Phalacrocoracidae), order Suliformes.

At a glance

Weight
1.5 kg
Habitat
Ocean
Diet
Fish, shrimp & shellfish
Lifestyle
On the water surface
Migration
Resident (barely migrates)
Conservation
Least Concern
More measurements
Wing
264 mm
Tail
102 mm
Bill
60 mm
Tarsus
61 mm

Averages from the AVONET dataset; length from field guides where available.

Range

Australasia: coasts of southern Western Australia to southeastern New South Wales, Bass Strait islands and Tasmania (southern Australia)

Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2

Classification

Family
Cormorants, Shags Phalacrocoracidae
Genus
Phalacrocorax

Other birds in the genus Phalacrocorax

Bank CormorantBank CormorantPhalacrocorax neglectusSocotra CormorantSocotra CormorantPhalacrocorax nigrogularisPitt ShagPitt ShagPhalacrocorax featherstoniSpotted ShagSpotted ShagPhalacrocorax punctatusAustralian Pied CormorantAustralian Pied CormorantPhalacrocorax variusLittle Black CormorantLittle Black CormorantPhalacrocorax sulcirostrisIndian CormorantIndian CormorantPhalacrocorax fuscicollisCape CormorantCape CormorantPhalacrocorax capensisJapanese CormorantJapanese CormorantPhalacrocorax capillatusGreat CormorantGreat CormorantPhalacrocorax carbo
Black-faced Cormorant

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Free to use with credit: “Illustration: Bird Album (birdalbum.com)”. Drawn by AI from a reference photo by Paul Fenwick. ↗

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