Mangoverde :: World Bird Guide :: Cormorants :: Great Cormorant

Great Cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo

Described by: Linnaeus (1758)
Alternate common name(s): Common Cormorant, Large Cormorant, Black Cormorant, Big Black Cormorant, Large Black Cormorant, European Cormorant, White-breasted Cormorant, Atlantic Cormorant, Chinese Cormorant, White-necked Cormorant
Old scientific name(s): None known by website authors

Photographs

Yatsu Higata Nature Observation Center, Chiba, Japan - Jun 21, 2003 © William Hull  Yatsu Higata Nature Observation Center, Chiba, Japan - Aug 5, 2001 © William Hull  Yatsu Higata Nature Observation Center, Chiba, Japan - Mar 25, 2005 © William Hull  Yatsu Higata Nature Observation Center, Chiba, Japan - Jun 21, 2003 © William Hull  Yatsu Higata Nature Observation Center, Chiba, Japan - May 17, 2003 © William Hull 
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Range

E. North America, Eurasia, Africa and Australasia;
(1) E. Canada (Maritime Provinces from the n. shore of the Gulf of St. Lawrence and sw. Newfoundland s. to Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia) and ex. ne. United States (n. Maine) to sw. Greenland, Iceland, Faroes, British Isles (Ireland), n. Scandinavia (Norway) and ex. nw. Russia (Kola Peninsula).
Winters along the coast of ne. United States s. to South Carolina (small numbers) and rarely to Florida, w. Europe, nw. Africa, Canary Is., Mediterranean, Black and Caspian Seas, Persian Gulf, Pakistan to Malaya, Indochina, Taiwan, Sumatra, n. Borneo.
(2) Nc. Europe from n. France and Belgium (formerly), Netherlands, w. Germany, Denmark, Poland, s. Sweden, Baltic Sea, e. Austria, Sardinia, Corsica, w. Italy, Czechoslovakia, Yugoslavia, Romania, Greece, inland Turkey, s. Russia (n. Black Sea, Sea of Azov, Caspian Sea, Volga Delta), Kazakhstan, s. Siberia, Lake Baikal, Transbaicalia, Ussuriland, Mongolia, ne. China (Nei Monggol Zizhiqu, Manchuria) s. to se. China (Hainan Is.), Transcaucasia in s. Iran, Pakistan, India and Sri Lanka (Parakrama Samudra Reservoir near Polonnaruwa) to n. Burma. Formerly seems to have bred in the Philippines (Batan Is., Calayan, Salayan, Luzon, Ticao) and Sumatra, but current status is questionable.
Winters from s. breeding range s. to coasts of n. Africa, Mediterranean Sea, n. Red Sea, Black Sea, Caspian Sea, Arabian Gulf, Oman, Sri Lanka, Malay Peninsula, Sumatra, Sundas?, e. China s. of the Yangtse River, Hainan Is. and Taiwan. Vagrant to Jordan and s. Red Sea.
(3) S. Korea and Japan (Honshu at Unoyama, Chita Peninsula, Ilse Bay).
(4) Coastal nw. Africa from Morocco s. to Mauritania e. to Egypt.
(5) Cape Verde Is., sw. Mauritania, Senegamabia (Senegal Delta), Burkina Faso, Guinea-Bissau, Ivory Coast, Ghana, inland locally in n. Nigeria, Cameroon, Lake Chad Basin (January and February), Sudan, n. Ethiopia, sw. Somalia s. in Rift Valley lakes of e. Zaire, Kenya (Lakes Victoria, Naivasha, Nakuru and Turkana), Uganda (Lake Edward), Rwanda, Burundi, Tanzania, Malawi, Zambia, Gabon, Congo, sw. Angola, Zimbabwe, Namibia, Botswana and South Africa s. to Cape of Good Hope and possibly s. Mozambique.
(6) Sw. Australia (Western Australia) and e. Australia on a line between Darwin and Adelaide (Northern Territory, Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria and e. South Australia), Tasmania, New Zealand (North and South Islands) and Chatham Is. Occasionally wanders to Lord Howe Is., Norfolk Is., Macquarie Is., Snares Is. and Campbell Is.
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North America n. of Mexican border
Summer: sw. Greenland, Maritime Provinces of ne. Canada including LAB, sw. NFD (Port au Port Peninsula, Guernsey Is., Cool River), QUE (Anticosti Is., Magdalen Is., Lake Is., St. Mary Is., Outer Wapitagun Is., Gulf of St. Lawrence), PEI, n. and e. NSC (Cape Breton, Hertford Is., Crystal Farm, Antigonish County), NBR (Grand Manan Is., formerly), n. MAE;
Winter: LAB, QUE, NFD, NSC, PEI, NBR, MAE, NHP, MAS, RID, NYK (Long Island), CNT and NJY. Occurs in small number further s. in DEL, MYD, VIR. Rare s. of Chesapeake Bay.

Videos

Yatsu Higata Nature Observation Center, Chiba, Japan - May 17, 2001 Source: William Hull
Description: Bird is swimming.

Yatsu Higata Nature Observation Center, Chiba, Japan - Aug 26, 2001 Source: William Hull
Description: None

Yatsu Higata Nature Observation Center, Chiba, Japan - Feb 16, 2002 Source: William Hull
Description: Bird is standing on a post.

Sounds

Location unknown - Date unknown Source: Massaciuccolis Oasis
Location unknown - Date unknown Source: Hong Kong Birdwatching Society
Location unknown - Date unknown Source: Hong Kong Birdwatching Society
Location unknown - Date unknown Source: ETI BioInformatics

References

Clements, James F. Birds of the World: A Checklist. Vista, CA: Ibis Publishing Company, 2000.

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