Alternative name: Red-faced Shag
- Urile urile
Phalacrocorax urile
Identification
71–89 cm (28-35 in)
- Long, hooked bill
- Long tail
- Long, thin neck
- Blue gular region bordered bright red onto the forehead
- Dark greenish-blue plumage
- White flank patch
- Two crests on head; one on the crown the other in the nuchal area
- Thin white neck plumes
- Partly yellow bill
- Brownish-black legs and feet
Young birds are dull brown but still have red face and pale bill.
Distribution
Islands off northern Japan to coastal southern Alaska.
Taxonomy
This is a monotypic species[1].
Habitat
Breeds on rocky coasts and off-shore islands. Otherwise exclusively marine.
Behaviour
They nest on cliff ledges, in colonies, often with Pelagic Cormorant. Their well-constructed broad nests are made from grass and seaweed.
Diet
Their diet consists of a variety of small fish, crabs, shrimps and other crustaceans. They feed mostly by pursuit-diving.
References
- Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, D. Roberson, T. A. Fredericks, B. L. Sullivan, and C. L. Wood. 2016. The eBird/Clements checklist of birds of the world: v2016, with updates to August 2016. Downloaded from http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/
- Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive (retrieved August 2017)
Recommended Citation
- BirdForum Opus contributors. (2024) Red-faced Cormorant. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 1 June 2024 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Red-faced_Cormorant
