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Difference between revisions of "Great Cormorant" - BirdForum Opus

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{{incomplete}}
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[[Image:great_cormorant_alok.JPG|thumb|550px|right|Complete breeding plumage and color, subspecies ''P. c. sinensis''<br />Photo &copy; by {{User|aloktewari|Alok Tewari}}<br />[[Keoladeo National Park]], Bharatpur, [[India]], January-2017]]
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'''Alternative Name: White-breasted Cormorant <sup>[[#Taxonomy|[1]]]</sup>'''
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'''Alternative Name: Black Cormorant'''
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[[Image:greatcormorant.jpg|thumb|450px|right|Photo by {{user|Nora|Nora}}<br>Photographed:  Melton, Melbourne, [[Australia]]]]
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'''Includes: Australian Great Cormorant, White-breasted Cormorant'''
 
;[[:Category:Phalacrocorax|Phalacrocorax]] carbo
 
;[[:Category:Phalacrocorax|Phalacrocorax]] carbo
 
==Identification==
 
==Identification==
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80–100 cm (31½-39½ in)
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*overall plumage blackish
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*throat white
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*gape yellow
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*thigh patch white in breeding plumage
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*head and neck variably white in breeding plumage (subspecies dependent)
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Juvenile whitish underparts
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====Similar Species====
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Forehead less steep than [[European Shag]].
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Juvenile/immature Shags both have a white throat. Cormorant always have dark feet and young Shags have paler feet (webs between the toes).
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[[Image:greatcormorant.jpg|thumb|350px|right|Subspecies ''P. c. novoehollandiae''<br />Photo &copy; by {{user|Nora|Nora}}<br />Melton, Melbourne, [[Australia]], May 2007]]
 
==Distribution==
 
==Distribution==
 
Almost worldwide; absent from [[Antarctica]], [[South America]] and much of [[North America]]. In North America found north of [[Nova Scotia]] in breeding season.
 
Almost worldwide; absent from [[Antarctica]], [[South America]] and much of [[North America]]. In North America found north of [[Nova Scotia]] in breeding season.
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Winters south to [[Florida]] along the coast. Also winters in small numbers in Lake Ontario.
 
Winters south to [[Florida]] along the coast. Also winters in small numbers in Lake Ontario.
 
==Taxonomy==
 
==Taxonomy==
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Some authorities consider the White-breasted Cormorant of Africa to be a separate species ''Phalacrocorax lucidus'' (Lepage, 2007)<sup>[[#References|[2]]]</sup>.
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Some authorities consider the African subspecies to be a separate species "White-breasted Cormorant", ''P. lucidus'' (Lepage, 2007) [[#References|[2]]].
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====Subspecies<sup>[[#References|[1]]]</sup>====
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There are 6 subspecies:
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Subspecies ''novaehollandiae'' may be split as "Australian Great Cormorant", ''P. novaehollandiae'' as its nupial plumage differs [[#References|[6]]]
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*''P. c. carbo'':
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====Subspecies====
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:*Northern [[Europe]] and northern [[North America]]; winters to Gulf coast, north-western [[Africa]]
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Clements recognises the following subspecies [[#References|[1]]]:
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*''P. c. novaehollandiae'':
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*''P. c. carbo'': Northern [[Europe]] and northern [[North America]]; winters to Gulf coast, north-western [[Africa]]
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:*[[Australia]], [[Tasmania]], [[New Zealand]] and Chatham Islands
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*''P. c. novaehollandiae'': "'''Australian Great Cormorant'''". [[Australia]], [[Tasmania]], [[New Zealand]] and Chatham Islands
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*''P. c. sinensis'':
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*''P. c. sinensis'': North-central [[Europe]] to southern [[China]]; winters to south-eastern [[Asia]] and [[Indonesia]]
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:*North-central [[Europe]] to southern [[China]]; winters to south-eastern [[Asia]] and [[Indonesia]]
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[[Image:IMG 1250 cb 900 b.jpg|thumb|350px|right|Nominate subspecies, breeding plumage<br />Photo &copy; by {{user|Joe52|Joe52}}<br />Bournemouth, [[UK]], January 2014]]
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*''P. c. hanedae'':
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*''P. c. hanedae'': Honshu Island ([[Japan]])
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:*Honshu Island ([[Japan]])
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*''P. c. maroccanus'': "'''White-breasted Cormorant'''". Coastal north-western [[Africa]] ([[Morocco]] to [[Mauritania]])
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*''P. c. maroccanus'':
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*''P. c. lucidus'': "'''White-breasted Cormorant'''". [[Africa]] south of the Sahara and [[Cape Verde Islands]]
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:*Coastal north-western [[Africa]] ([[Morocco]] to [[Mauritania]])
 
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*''P. c. lucidus'':
 
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:*[[Africa]] south of the Sahara and [[Cape Verde Islands]]
 
 
==Habitat==
 
==Habitat==
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Open water and rocky coastline. Breeds on sea cliffs and on inland trees. .
 
==Behaviour==
 
==Behaviour==
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[[Image:IMG 45314.jpg|thumb|350px|right|Subspecies ''P. c. carbo'', juvenile<br />Photo &copy; by {{user|Macswede|Macswede}}<br />Skåne, [[Sweden]], April 2013]]
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Often seen perched on rocks, bouys and posts with their wings outspread. Swims low in the water with head raised
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====Diet====
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Their diet consists mostly of fish; crustaceans and amphibians are also eaten. 
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====Flight====
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Flies higher over the water than [[Shag]]s; flocks forming long lines or V-shapes.
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====Vocalisation====
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{{ Audio|Phalacrocorax carbo (song).mp3 }}
  
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====Vocalisation====
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==Gallery==
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<flashmp3>Phalacrocorax carbo (song).mp3</flashmp3><br />
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Click images to see larger version
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''[[Media:Phalacrocorax carbo (song).mp3|Listen in an external program]]''
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<gallery>
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Image:2011-02-08DSC 1632 Cormorant.jpg|Nominate subspecies<br />Photo &copy; by {{user|Paul+Wheeler|Paul Wheeler}}<br />Stover, Devon, February-2011
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Image:great_cormorant_alok_2.JPG|Subspecies ''P c. sinensis'', juvenile<br />Photo &copy; by {{user|aloktewari|Alok Tewari}}<br />[[Keoladeo National Park]], [[India]], Dec-2015
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Image:White-breasted cormorant1.jpg|Subspecies ''lucidus'', White-breasted Cormorant<br />Photo &copy; by {{user|bievreJJ|bievreJJ}}<br />Strandfontein Sewage Works, Cape province, [[South Africa]], 13 October 2009
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</gallery>
 
==References==
 
==References==
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#{{Ref-Clements6thDec09}}#Avibase
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#{{Ref-Clements6thAug19}}#Lepage D. (2020) [https://avibase.ca/ACD40E8C Avibase]. Retrieved 21 September 2020
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#Birdwatchers Pocket Guide ISBN 1-85732-804-3
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#Hatch, J. J., K. M. Brown, G. G. Hogan, R. D. Morris, J. Orta, E. F. J. Garcia, F. Jutglar, G. M. Kirwan, and P. F. D. Boesman (2020). Great Cormorant (Phalacrocorax carbo), version 1.0. In Birds of the World (S. M. Billerman, Editor). Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, NY, USA. https://doi.org/10.2173/bow.grecor.01
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#Bird Forum Member Observations
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#{{Ref-Eatonetal21}}
 
{{ref}}
 
{{ref}}
 
==External Links==
 
==External Links==
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{{GSearch|Phalacrocorax+carbo}}
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{{GSearch|"Phalacrocorax carbo" {{!}} "Great Cormorant" {{!}} "White-breasted Cormorant" {{!}} "Black Cormorant", -"Little Black Cormorant", -"Temminck Cormorant"}}
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<br />
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{{VSearch|"Phalacrocorax carbo" {{!}} "Great Cormorant" {{!}} "White-breasted Cormorant" {{!}} "Black Cormorant", -"Little Black Cormorant", -"Temminck Cormorant"}}
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{{GS-checked}}1
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<br />
 
<br />
 
<br />
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{{Video|Great_Cormorant}}
 
  
 
[[Category:Birds]] [[Category:Phalacrocorax]] [[Category:Bird Songs]] [[Category:Videos]]
 
[[Category:Birds]] [[Category:Phalacrocorax]] [[Category:Bird Songs]] [[Category:Videos]]

Latest revision as of 14:24, 28 August 2023

Complete breeding plumage and color, subspecies P. c. sinensis
Photo © by Alok Tewari
Keoladeo National Park, Bharatpur, India, January-2017

Alternative Name: Black Cormorant

Includes: Australian Great Cormorant, White-breasted Cormorant

Phalacrocorax carbo

Identification

80–100 cm (31½-39½ in)

  • overall plumage blackish
  • throat white
  • gape yellow
  • thigh patch white in breeding plumage
  • head and neck variably white in breeding plumage (subspecies dependent)

Juvenile whitish underparts

Similar Species

Forehead less steep than European Shag. Juvenile/immature Shags both have a white throat. Cormorant always have dark feet and young Shags have paler feet (webs between the toes).

Subspecies P. c. novoehollandiae
Photo © by Nora
Melton, Melbourne, Australia, May 2007

Distribution

Almost worldwide; absent from Antarctica, South America and much of North America. In North America found north of Nova Scotia in breeding season.

Winters south to Florida along the coast. Also winters in small numbers in Lake Ontario.

Taxonomy

Some authorities consider the African subspecies to be a separate species "White-breasted Cormorant", P. lucidus (Lepage, 2007) [2].

Subspecies novaehollandiae may be split as "Australian Great Cormorant", P. novaehollandiae as its nupial plumage differs [6]

Subspecies

Clements recognises the following subspecies [1]:

Nominate subspecies, breeding plumage
Photo © by Joe52
Bournemouth, UK, January 2014

Habitat

Open water and rocky coastline. Breeds on sea cliffs and on inland trees. .

Behaviour

Subspecies P. c. carbo, juvenile
Photo © by Macswede
Skåne, Sweden, April 2013

Often seen perched on rocks, bouys and posts with their wings outspread. Swims low in the water with head raised

Diet

Their diet consists mostly of fish; crustaceans and amphibians are also eaten.

Flight

Flies higher over the water than Shags; flocks forming long lines or V-shapes.

Vocalisation

Gallery

Click images to see larger version

References

  1. Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, S. M. Billerman, T. A. Fredericks, B. L. Sullivan, and C. L. Wood. 2019. The eBird/Clements Checklist of Birds of the World: v2019. Downloaded from http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/
  2. Lepage D. (2020) Avibase. Retrieved 21 September 2020
  3. Birdwatchers Pocket Guide ISBN 1-85732-804-3
  4. Hatch, J. J., K. M. Brown, G. G. Hogan, R. D. Morris, J. Orta, E. F. J. Garcia, F. Jutglar, G. M. Kirwan, and P. F. D. Boesman (2020). Great Cormorant (Phalacrocorax carbo), version 1.0. In Birds of the World (S. M. Billerman, Editor). Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, NY, USA. https://doi.org/10.2173/bow.grecor.01
  5. Bird Forum Member Observations
  6. Eaton, JA, B van Balen, NW Brickle, FE Rheindt 2021. Birds of the Indonesian Archipelago (Greater Sundas and Wallacea), Second Edition. Lynx Editions. ISBN978-84-16728-44-2

Recommended Citation

External Links


GSearch checked for 2020 platform.1

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