Bird Album
Guanay Cormorant
Leucocarbo bougainvilliorum (Lesson, RP, 1837)
2.5 kgWeight
The guanay cormorant or guanay shag (Leucocarbo bougainvilliorum) is a member of the cormorant family found on the Pacific coast of Peru and northern Chile.
Busiest months: November · Most records: Chile, Peru, Ecuador
Where and when it's recorded
Guanay Cormorant has been recorded at 51 of the 8,171 birding hotspots we track, in 3 countries and regions.
Records by month Southern Hemisphere
Where it's recorded most
- Refugio de Vida Silvestre Los Pantanos de Villa – Laguna Costera y Playa MarvillaPeru1,007 records
- Quintero – PelágicoChile750 records
- Valparaíso – PelágicoChile738 records
More places
- Isla PucusanaPeru648 records
- Reñaca – MontemarChile583 records
- Refugio de Vida Silvestre Los Pantanos de VillaPeru383 records
- Estero MantaguaChile347 records
- SN Humedal Río Maipo – DesembocaduraChile329 records
- Río Lluta – DesembocaduraChile317 records
- Río Elqui – DesembocaduraChile156 records
Countries and regions with the most records
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 guanay cormorant or guanay shag (Leucocarbo bougainvilliorum) is a member of the cormorant family found on the Pacific coast of Peru and northern Chile. After breeding it spreads south to southern parts of Chile and north to Ecuador, and has also been recorded as far north as Panama and Colombia, probably a result of mass dispersal due to food shortage in El Niño years. Its major habitats include shallow seawater and rocky shores.
Excerpt from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0 · authors · Read more on Wikipedia
Questions
How big is the Guanay Cormorant?
The Guanay Cormorant weighs around 2.5 kg.
Where does the Guanay Cormorant live?
Its breeding range: South America: coastal Peru to central Chile and south-central Argentina. It is most often recorded in Chile, Peru and Ecuador.
When is the best time to see the Guanay Cormorant?
At the hotspots we track, it is recorded most in November (Southern Hemisphere).
Is the Guanay Cormorant endangered?
The IUCN Red List classifies the Guanay Cormorant as Near Threatened.
What does the Guanay Cormorant eat?
Main food: Fish, shrimp & shellfish.
What family is the Guanay Cormorant in?
It belongs to the family Cormorants, Shags (Phalacrocoracidae), order Suliformes.
At a glance
- Weight
- 2.5 kg
- Habitat
- Ocean
- Diet
- Fish, shrimp & shellfish
- Lifestyle
- On the water surface
- Migration
- Resident (barely migrates)
- Conservation
- Near Threatened
More measurements
- Wing
- 293 mm
- Tail
- 105 mm
- Bill
- 70 mm
- Tarsus
- 69 mm
Averages from the AVONET dataset; length from field guides where available.
Range
South America: coastal Peru to central Chile and south-central Argentina
Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2
Classification
- Order
- Suliformes
- Family
- Cormorants, Shags Phalacrocoracidae
- Genus
- Leucocarbo
Other birds in the genus Leucocarbo
Rock ShagLeucocarbo magellanicus
Bounty ShagLeucocarbo ranfurlyi
New Zealand King ShagLeucocarbo carunculatus
Chatham Islands ShagLeucocarbo onslowi
Stewart Island ShagLeucocarbo chalconotus
Auckland ShagLeucocarbo colensoi
Campbell ShagLeucocarbo campbelli
Imperial ShagLeucocarbo atriceps
Pygmy CormorantMicrocarbo pygmaeus
Reed CormorantMicrocarbo africanus
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Free to use with credit: “Illustration: Bird Album (birdalbum.com)”. Drawn by AI from reference photos. ↗
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