Indian Cormorant

Phalacrocorax fuscicollis Stephens, 1826

706 gWeight

The Indian cormorant or Indian shag (Phalacrocorax fuscicollis) is a member of the cormorant family.

Busiest months: December–February · Most records: India, Thailand, Sri Lanka

Least Concern

Where and when it's recorded

Busiest months: December–February · Most records: India, Thailand, Sri Lanka

Indian Cormorant has been recorded at 335 of the 8,276 birding hotspots we track, in 8 countries and regions.

Records by month Northern Hemisphere

Where it's recorded most

Bharatpur – Keoladeo Ghana NPIndia3,018 records
Changaram Wetlands – EzhupunnaIndia2,563 records
Saul Kere / Sowl KereIndia1,874 records

More places

Krishnampathi Lake, SeeranaickenpalayamIndia1,804 records
Okhla Bird SanctuaryIndia1,303 records
Sultanpur National ParkIndia1,293 records
Hoskote / Hosakote KereIndia1,277 records
Pak Thale Nature ReserveThailand1,170 records
KattampallyIndia1,153 records
Bhandup Pumping StationIndia1,091 records

Countries and regions with the most records

India Thailand Sri Lanka Cambodia Bangladesh Vietnam Myanmar (Burma)Pakistan

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 Indian cormorant or Indian shag (Phalacrocorax fuscicollis) is a member of the cormorant family. It is found mainly along the inland waters of the Indian subcontinent but extends west to Sind and east to Thailand and Cambodia. It is a gregarious species that can be easily distinguished from the similar sized little cormorant by its blue eyes, small head with a sloping forehead and a long narrow bill ending in a hooked tip.

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

Questions

How big is the Indian Cormorant?

The Indian Cormorant weighs around 706 g.

Where does the Indian Cormorant live?

Its breeding range: Oriental: patchily inland, Indus Valley (central Pakistan), western, southern, northeastern India, Sri Lanka, southern Myanmar, southern Cambodia and southern Vietnam. It is most often recorded in India, Thailand and Sri Lanka.

When is the best time to see the Indian Cormorant?

At the hotspots we track, it is recorded most in January, February and December (Northern Hemisphere).

Is the Indian Cormorant endangered?

The IUCN Red List classifies the Indian Cormorant as Least Concern.

What does the Indian Cormorant eat?

Main food: Fish, shrimp & shellfish.

What family is the Indian Cormorant in?

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

At a glance

Weight: 706 g
Habitat: Wetland
Diet: Fish, shrimp & shellfish
Lifestyle: On the water surface
Migration: Resident (barely migrates)
Conservation: Least Concern

More measurements

Wing: 263 mm
Tail: 137 mm
Bill: 60 mm
Tarsus: 47 mm

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

Range

Oriental: patchily inland, Indus Valley (central Pakistan), western, southern, northeastern India, Sri Lanka, southern Myanmar, southern Cambodia and southern Vietnam

Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2