Japanese Cormorant

Phalacrocorax capillatus (Temminck & Schlegel, 1850)

81–92 cmLength152 cmWingspan2.8 kgWeight

It has a black body, white throat and cheeks, and a partly yellow bill.

Busiest months: May · Most records: Japan, South Korea, China

Least Concern

How to identify

Field marks

Body black
Throat and cheeks white
Bill partly yellow

Male, female and young

Juvenile plainer and browner than adult.

Where and when it's recorded

Japanese Cormorant has been recorded at 143 of the 8,171 birding hotspots we track, in 3 countries and regions.

Records by month Northern Hemisphere

Where it's recorded most

Yeliu IBATaiwan (China)278 records
Baengnyeong-do (island)South Korea264 records
Wajima – Hegurajima (island)Japan249 records

More places

Eocheong-do (island)South Korea232 records
Sakata – Tobishima (island)Japan218 records
Choshi – Choshi PortJapan197 records
Nemuro – Cape NosappuJapan172 records
Hamanaka – Cape KiritappuJapan109 records
Gujwa – Hado-ri Migratory Bird HabitatSouth Korea103 records
Edogawa Ward – Kasai Rinkai Park / Kasai Kaihin ParkJapan99 records

Countries and regions with the most records

Japan South Korea China

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 Japanese cormorant (Phalacrocorax capillatus), also known as Temminck's cormorant, is a species of cormorant native to coastal areas of the east Palearctic.

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

Questions

How big is the Japanese Cormorant?

The Japanese Cormorant is about 81–92 cm long, with a wingspan of 152 cm and weighs around 2.8 kg.

Where does the Japanese Cormorant live?

Its breeding range: Palearctic: northeastern Asian coasts: southeastern Russia including Sakhalin, southern Kuril Islands, Hokkaido to Kyushu (northern to southern Japan), Korean Peninsula and northeastern China. It is most often recorded in Japan, South Korea and China.

When is the best time to see the Japanese Cormorant?

At the hotspots we track, it is recorded most in May (Northern Hemisphere).

Is the Japanese Cormorant endangered?

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

What does the Japanese Cormorant eat?

Main food: Fish, shrimp & shellfish.

What family is the Japanese Cormorant in?

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

At a glance

Length: 81–92 cm
Wingspan: 152 cm
Weight: 2.8 kg
Habitat: Ocean
Diet: Fish, shrimp & shellfish
Lifestyle: On the water surface
Migration: Resident (barely migrates)
Conservation: Least Concern

More measurements

Wing: 314 mm
Tail: 142 mm
Bill: 77 mm
Tarsus: 64 mm

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

Range

Palearctic: northeastern Asian coasts: southeastern Russia including Sakhalin, southern Kuril Islands, Hokkaido to Kyushu (northern to southern Japan), Korean Peninsula and northeastern China

Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2