# Cormorant (*Phalacrocorax*) Cormorants are sleek black birds that dive underwater to catch fish. They have long necks and sharp beaks, and they can swim very fast! - **Category:** [Birds](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/bird) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 2/5 · Low - **Habitat:** Coastal areas ![Cormorant](https://res.cloudinary.com/drieglelr/image/upload/v1771426049/objects/6016.jpg) ## Appearance The Cormorant is a large, dark-feathered water bird with a long, slender neck and a distinctive hooked bill. Its plumage is often glossy black or dark bronze. They stand upright on land, giving them a unique, almost prehistoric silhouette, making them easy to spot. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Animalia - **Phylum:** Chordata - **Class:** Aves - **Order:** Suliformes - **Family:** Phalacrocoracidae - **Genus:** Phalacrocorax ## Interesting facts - Ancient Egyptians sometimes trained cormorants to help them catch fish! - Cormorants have a special gland to drink saltwater and get rid of the salt! - They often return to the same nesting spots year after year, sometimes for decades! - Unlike most waterbirds, their feathers aren't fully waterproof, helping them dive! ## Special abilities - **Subaquatic Sprint:** Cormorant can dive deep and swiftly pursue fish because it has powerful, webbed feet that help them propel underwater. - **Sun-Soaked Drying:** Cormorant has less oil on its feathers, helping them sink easily for diving, but needs to dry its wings afterwards in the sun. - **Keen Underwater Sight:** Cormorant has excellent underwater vision because its eyes are adapted to see clearly in water, helping them spot hidden prey. ## Measurements & details - **Length:** 70-100 cm - **Wingspan:** 130-160 cm - **Weight:** 1.5-5.3 kg - **Lifespan:** 15-20 years - **Speed:** 80 km/h - **Clutch Size:** 3-5 - **Incubation:** 28-31 days - **Migration Distance:** 2500 km ## Diet & Feeding Cormorants are expert underwater hunters, mainly eating fish that they chase and catch. - **Primary Foods:** fish, eels, crabs, shrimp, squid - **Foraging Method:** Pursuit ## Ecological connections - **Eats:** [Zander](https://www.snappit.app/explore/zander) (*Sander lucioperca*) — A common prey fish in freshwater habitats. - **Eats:** European Eel (*Anguilla anguilla*) — An important food source, especially for larger cormorants. - **Eaten by:** [Bald Eagle](https://www.snappit.app/explore/bald-eagle) (*Haliaeetus leucocephalus*) — Large raptors sometimes prey on cormorant chicks or adults. - **Eats:** European Herring Gull (*Larus argentatus*) — Gulls often steal eggs or chicks from cormorant colonies. ## Traits - [Wildlife](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/wildlife): Wildlife encompasses all undomesticated animal and plant life existing in their natural habitats. - [Feathered](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/feathered): Feathered describes animals, primarily birds, possessing a covering of feathers. - [Webbed Feet](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/webbed-feet): Characterized by having toes connected by a membrane, typically aiding in swimming. - [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. - [Piscivorous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/piscivorous): Piscivorous organisms are animals that primarily subsist on a diet of fish. - [Ancient Lineage](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/ancient-lineage): This trait signifies organisms belonging to a very old evolutionary group with ancestors dating back millions of years. - [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. ## Collections - [Birds](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/birds) ## Safety **Danger:** 2/5 · Low Enjoy watching cormorants from a safe distance and never try to touch or disturb them. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify 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 Cormorant? 70-100 cm ### What is Cormorant's wingspan? 130-160 cm ### How much does Cormorant weigh? 1.5-5.3 kg ### How long does Cormorant live? 15-20 years ### How fast can Cormorant move? 80 km/h ### What does Cormorant eat? Cormorants are expert underwater hunters, mainly eating fish that they chase and catch. ### Where is Cormorant usually found? Coastal areas ## Where to spot - [Hardy Island Marine Provincial Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/hardy-island-marine-provincial-park) — British Columbia, CA · State Park ## Watch - [Play video: Cormorant](https://www.snappit.app/videos/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: [Cormorant: Characteristics, Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/cormorant)