# Brandt's Cormorant (*Urile penicillatus*) Brandt's Cormorant is a sleek, black bird that loves to dive into the ocean to catch fish. They have bright blue eyes and can often be seen drying their wings in the sun after swimming. - **Category:** [Birds](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/bird) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Snaps:** 11 - **Habitat:** Coastal areas ![Brandt's Cormorant](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Brandt's_Cormorant_in_breeding_plumage.jpg&width=800) Photo: Alan Vernon, CC BY 2.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Brandt's_Cormorant_in_breeding_plumage.jpg) ## Appearance The Brandt's Cormorant is a large, dark seabird with a long neck and a slender, hooked bill. Adults display a distinctive bright blue gular pouch and fine, pale plumes on their neck during breeding season, contrasting with their iridescent greenish-black body. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Animalia - **Phylum:** Chordata - **Class:** Aves - **Order:** Suliformes - **Family:** Phalacrocoracidae - **Genus:** Urile ## Interesting facts - Brandt's Cormorants often dry their wings like laundry on a line after a deep dive! - Their bright blue throat pouch glows vibrantly during breeding season to attract a mate! - These expert divers can plunge to depths of over 60 meters (200 feet) for fish! - They build huge, smelly nests on rocky cliffs, sometimes with thousands of other birds! ## Special abilities - **Powerful Propulsion:** Brandt's Cormorant can swim deep using powerful webbed feet that help them chase fish underwater. - **Buoyancy Control:** Brandt's Cormorant has special feathers that absorb water, reducing buoyancy and helping them dive efficiently. - **Breath Hold Champion:** Brandt's Cormorant can hold its breath for extended periods, allowing them to hunt for fish deep below the surface. - **Sunbathing Spreader:** Brandt's Cormorant has wide wings that help them sunbathe to dry their feathers and regulate body temperature. ## Measurements & details - **Length:** 84-97 cm - **Wingspan:** 124-125 cm - **Weight:** 1.8-2.4 kg - **Lifespan:** 15-18 years - **Speed:** 50 km/h - **Clutch Size:** 2-5 - **Incubation:** 25-31 days ## Diet & Feeding These marine birds primarily feast on small fish, expertly diving to catch their prey. - **Primary Foods:** anchovies, sardines, rockfish, sculpins, herring - **Foraging Method:** Pursuit ## Ecological connections - **Eats:** Northern Anchovy (*Engraulis mordax*) — A primary prey fish for cormorants. - **Eats:** Pacific Sardine (*Sardinops sagax*) — Another key schooling fish in their diet. - **Eaten by:** [Bald Eagle](https://www.snappit.app/explore/bald-eagle) (*Haliaeetus leucocephalus*) — Preys on eggs, chicks, or weak adults. - **Eaten by:** [Western Gull](https://www.snappit.app/explore/western-gull) (*Larus occidentalis*) — Often scavenges eggs and chicks from nests. - **Depends on:** Giant Kelp (*Macrocystis pyrifera*) — Provides habitat for their fish prey. ## Traits - [Feathered](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/feathered): Feathered describes animals, primarily birds, possessing a covering of feathers. - [Social](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/social): Social animals live in organized groups, cooperating for survival benefits such as foraging, defense, and raising offspring. - [Colorful](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/colorful): Colorful describes organisms or objects displaying a wide range of bright and distinct colors. - [Filter Feeder](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/filter-feeder): Filter feeders obtain nutrients by straining suspended food particles and small organisms from water. - [Piscivorous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/piscivorous): Piscivorous organisms are animals that primarily subsist on a diet of fish. - [Coastal](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/coastal): Coastal habitats are dynamic environments located along the interface between land and sea, influenced by tides, waves, and saltwater. - [Diurnal](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/diurnal): Diurnal animals are primarily active during daylight hours, typically resting or sleeping at night. - [Speedster](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/speedster): This trait identifies organisms that exhibit exceptional swiftness in movement for hunting, escape, or travel. - [Marine](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/marine): Marine habitats encompass all saltwater environments of the Earth's oceans, supporting an immense diversity of aquatic life. - [Endangered](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/endangered): Endangered status indicates a species is at a very high risk of extinction in the wild in the near future. ## Collections - [Birds](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/birds) ## Safety **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low Watch these birds from a distance so they feel safe and happy. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify Brandt's Cormorant? Compare the silhouette, bill shape, tail length, wing bars and markings around the eyes. The same small brown bird at your feeder can look quite different in breeding plumage, winter plumage or its first year. Bird Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### How long is Brandt's Cormorant? 84-97 cm ### What is Brandt's Cormorant's wingspan? 124-125 cm ### How much does Brandt's Cormorant weigh? 1.8-2.4 kg ### How long does Brandt's Cormorant live? 15-18 years ### How fast can Brandt's Cormorant move? 50 km/h ### What does Brandt's Cormorant eat? These marine birds primarily feast on small fish, expertly diving to catch their prey. ### Where is Brandt's Cormorant usually found? Coastal areas ## Where to spot - [Cabrillo National Monument](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/cabrillo-national-monument) — California, US · National Park - [Monterey Bay Aquarium](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/monterey-bay-aquarium-california) — California, US · Aquarium - [Monterey Bay Aquarium](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/monterey-bay-aquarium) — California, US · Zoo - [Angel Island Immigration Station](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/angel-island-immigration-station) — US · Historic Site - [Birch Aquarium](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/birch-aquarium-california) — California, US · Aquarium - [Birch Aquarium](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/birch-aquarium) — California, US · Zoo [View all places to see Brandt's Cormorant](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/brandts-cormorant) ## Watch - [Play video: Brandt's Cormorant](https://www.snappit.app/videos/brandts-cormorant) - [YouTube](https://www.snappit.app/published_manually) ## More Birds - [Black-crowned Night Heron](https://www.snappit.app/explore/black-crowned-night-heron) (*Nycticorax nycticorax*) - [Anna's Hummingbird](https://www.snappit.app/explore/annas-hummingbird) (*Calypte anna*) - [Great Egret](https://www.snappit.app/explore/great-egret) (*Ardea alba*) - [Blue Jay](https://www.snappit.app/explore/blue-jay) (*Cyanocitta cristata*) --- Source: [Brandt's Cormorant: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/brandts-cormorant)