Pelagic Cormorant Identification

The Four Keys to ID

• Size & Shape

  A large seabird with a long, thin neck, a long tail, and a narrow, small head. Breeding adults have short crests on the front of the crown and the hindcrown. Pelagic Cormorants are smaller and slenderer than other cormorant species of the Pacific.

  Relative Size

  Larger than a Snowy Egret, notably smaller and slenderer than a Double-crested Cormorant.

  between crow and goose

  Measurements

  • Both Sexes
  • • Length: 20.1-29.9 in (51-76 cm)
    • Weight: 48.3-86.1 oz (1370-2440 g)
    • Wingspan: 39.4-47.6 in (100-121 cm)

• Color Pattern

  Breeding adults are blackish, with green or purple gloss. They have a small patch of red skin around the bill, and square white patches on the flanks. Nonbreeding adults are similar but less glossy, with dull facial skin and without the white flank patches. Juveniles are uniformly dark brown.

• Behavior

  Dives to pursue fish and other marine organisms underwater, which are captured from below or pulled from rocky reefs. Most foraging is done in the morning or late afternoon. During the day, Pelagic Cormorants perch on rocks, pilings, or other waterside objects, resting and drying the plumage, often with wings outstretched.

• Habitat

  Nests on rocky islands, cliffs, and shorelines of the Pacific; forages in waters adjacent to nesting areas, rarely more than a few miles from land. Nonbreeding birds use similar habitats.