Bird Album
Red-legged Cormorant
Poikilocarbo gaimardi (Garnot, 1828)
1.4 kgWeight
The red-legged cormorant (Poikilocarbo gaimardi), also known as the red-legged shag, red-footed cormorant, red-footed shag, Gaimard's cormorant and grey cormorant, is a species of cormorant resident to the coastline of South America.
Busiest months: November · Most records: Chile, Peru, Argentina
Where and when it's recorded
Red-legged Cormorant has been recorded at 48 of the 8,171 birding hotspots we track, in 4 countries and regions.
Records by month Southern Hemisphere
Where it's recorded most
- Isla PucusanaPeru901 records
- MN Islotes de PuñihuilChile866 records
- Reñaca – MontemarChile743 records
More places
- Transbordador Pargua-ChacaoChile711 records
- Valparaíso – PelágicoChile678 records
- Refugio de Vida Silvestre Los Pantanos de Villa – Laguna Costera y Playa MarvillaPeru369 records
- Quintero – PelágicoChile292 records
- Río Lluta – DesembocaduraChile200 records
- SN Humedal Río Maipo – DesembocaduraChile183 records
- Acantilados de la QuirillucaChile144 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 red-legged cormorant (Poikilocarbo gaimardi), also known as the red-legged shag, red-footed cormorant, red-footed shag, Gaimard's cormorant and grey cormorant, is a species of cormorant resident to the coastline of South America. It is the only member of the genus Poikilocarbo. It is non-colonial unlike most seabirds.
Excerpt from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0 · authors · Read more on Wikipedia
Questions
How big is the Red-legged Cormorant?
The Red-legged Cormorant weighs around 1.4 kg.
Where does the Red-legged Cormorant live?
Its breeding range: South America: eastern South Pacific coast: northern Peru to south-central Chile; disjunctly Santa Cruz Province, southeastern Argentina. It is most often recorded in Chile, Peru and Argentina.
When is the best time to see the Red-legged Cormorant?
At the hotspots we track, it is recorded most in November (Southern Hemisphere).
Is the Red-legged Cormorant endangered?
The IUCN Red List classifies the Red-legged Cormorant as Near Threatened.
What does the Red-legged Cormorant eat?
Main food: Fish, shrimp & shellfish.
What family is the Red-legged Cormorant in?
It belongs to the family Cormorants, Shags (Phalacrocoracidae), order Suliformes.
At a glance
- Weight
- 1.4 kg
- Habitat
- Ocean
- Diet
- Fish, shrimp & shellfish
- Lifestyle
- On the water surface
- Migration
- Resident (barely migrates)
- Conservation
- Near Threatened
More measurements
- Wing
- 246 mm
- Tail
- 93 mm
- Bill
- 66 mm
- Tarsus
- 55 mm
Averages from the AVONET dataset; length from field guides where available.
Range
South America: eastern South Pacific coast: northern Peru to south-central Chile; disjunctly Santa Cruz Province, southeastern Argentina
Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2
Classification
- Order
- Suliformes
- Family
- Cormorants, Shags Phalacrocoracidae
- Genus
- Poikilocarbo
More from the family Cormorants, Shags
Pygmy CormorantMicrocarbo pygmaeus
Reed CormorantMicrocarbo africanus
Crowned CormorantMicrocarbo coronatus
Little CormorantMicrocarbo niger
Little Pied CormorantMicrocarbo melanoleucos
Brandt's CormorantUrile penicillatus
Red-faced CormorantUrile urile
Pelagic CormorantUrile pelagicus
Bank CormorantPhalacrocorax neglectus
Socotra CormorantPhalacrocorax nigrogularis
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Free to use with credit: “Illustration: Bird Album (birdalbum.com)”. Drawn by AI from a reference photo by David Roche. ↗
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