- Microcarbo niger
Phalacrocorax niger
Identification
55 cm. Mainly glossy black in the breeding season, with white head plumes and a whitish throat. The wing coverts are silvery, and it has a long tail.
Sexes are similar, but non-breeding adults and juveniles are browner and lack the head plumes.
Distribution
Southern Pakistan, India, Sri Lanka and Indonesia.
Taxonomy
Formerly placed in genus Phalacrocorax.
Habitat
Freshwater wetlands and on coasts.
Behaviour
3-5 eggs are laid in a nest in a tree or long grass.
It can dive to considerable depths, but usually feeds in shallow water. It frequently brings prey to the surface. Diet includes a wide variety of fish.
