Little Black Cormorant
Phalacrocorax sulcirostris (Brandt, JF, 1837)
995 gWeight
The little black cormorant (Phalacrocorax sulcirostris) is a member of the cormorant family of seabirds.
Busiest months: January and October–November · Most records: Australia, New Zealand, Indonesia
Where and when it's recorded
Busiest months: January and October–November · Most records: Australia, New Zealand, Indonesia
Little Black Cormorant has been recorded at 361 of the 8,276 birding hotspots we track, in 8 countries and regions.
Records by month Southern Hemisphere
Where it's recorded most
- Western Treatment PlantAustralia7,803 records
- Sandy Camp Road WetlandsAustralia5,608 records
- Oxley Creek CommonAustralia3,940 records
More places
- Jerrabomberra Wetlands Nature ReserveAustralia3,922 records
- Centennial ParkAustralia3,433 records
- Dowse LagoonAustralia3,003 records
- Lake Samsonvale – Golds Scrub LaneAustralia2,826 records
- Royal Botanic Gardens MelbourneAustralia2,734 records
- Herdsman LakeAustralia2,575 records
- Townsville Town Common Conservation ParkAustralia2,224 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 little black cormorant (Phalacrocorax sulcirostris) is a member of the cormorant family of seabirds. It is common in smaller rivers and lakes throughout most areas of Australia and northern New Zealand, where it is known as the little black shag. It is around sixty centimetres long, and is all black with blue-green eyes.
Excerpt from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0 · authors · Read more on Wikipedia
Questions
How big is the Little Black Cormorant?
The Little Black Cormorant weighs around 995 g.
Where does the Little Black Cormorant live?
Its breeding range: Oriental, Australasia: coastal and inland Java and Sulawesi through New Guinea region, southwestern, eastern Australia including Tasmania, New Caledonia and North Island (New Zealand). It is most often recorded in Australia, New Zealand and Indonesia.
When is the best time to see the Little Black Cormorant?
At the hotspots we track, it is recorded most in January, October and November (Southern Hemisphere).
Is the Little Black Cormorant endangered?
The IUCN Red List classifies the Little Black Cormorant as Least Concern.
What does the Little Black Cormorant eat?
Main food: Fish, shrimp & shellfish.
What family is the Little Black Cormorant in?
It belongs to the family Cormorants, Shags (Phalacrocoracidae), order Suliformes.
At a glance
- Weight
- 995 g
- Habitat
- Wetland
- Diet
- Fish, shrimp & shellfish
- Lifestyle
- On the water surface
- Migration
- Resident (barely migrates)
- Conservation
- Least Concern
More measurements
- Wing
- 249 mm
- Tail
- 129 mm
- Bill
- 52 mm
- Tarsus
- 45 mm
Averages from the AVONET dataset; length from field guides where available.
Range
Oriental, Australasia: coastal and inland Java and Sulawesi through New Guinea region, southwestern, eastern Australia including Tasmania, New Caledonia and North Island (New Zealand)
Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2
Classification
- Order
- Suliformes
- Family
- Cormorants, Shags Phalacrocoracidae
- Genus
- Phalacrocorax
Other birds in the genus Phalacrocorax
Bank CormorantPhalacrocorax neglectus
Socotra CormorantPhalacrocorax nigrogularis
Pitt ShagPhalacrocorax featherstoni
Spotted ShagPhalacrocorax punctatus
Black-faced CormorantPhalacrocorax fuscescens
Australian Pied CormorantPhalacrocorax varius
Indian CormorantPhalacrocorax fuscicollis
Cape CormorantPhalacrocorax capensis
Japanese CormorantPhalacrocorax capillatus
Great CormorantPhalacrocorax carbo
Download illustration
Free to use with credit: “Illustration: Bird Album (birdalbum.com)”. Drawn by AI from a reference photo by Geoff Gates. ↗
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