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Red-faced Cormorant

Silhouette CormorantsCormorants
Red-faced CormorantUrile urile
  • ORDER: Suliformes
  • FAMILY: Phalacrocoracidae

Basic Description

The trim, glossy-black Red-faced Cormorant has a vivid cherry-red face and yellowish bill during the breeding season, along with a bold square of white feathers on its flanks. It inhabits some of the most remote places in Alaska and eastern Asia, where it overlaps with the very similar (but slightly smaller) Pelagic Cormorant. Red-faced Cormorants are hardy and rather shy, building nests on steep cliff faces overlooking the North Pacific. They are less gregarious than other cormorant species and often nest in single pairs rather than in colonies.

More ID Info
image of range map for Red-faced Cormorant
Year-roundBreedingMigrationNonbreeding
Range map provided by Birds of the World
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Find This Bird

Red-faced Cormorants remain close to shore year-round—so the biggest challenge to finding them is reaching their remote habitat. One of the best places to find them is on the Pribilof Islands, Alaska, where pairs typically nest in accessible parts of St. Paul Island.

Other Names

  • Cormorán Carirrojo (Spanish)
  • Cormoran à face rouge (French)
  • Cool Facts