# Great Cormorant (*Phalacrocorax carbo*) The Great Cormorant is a large bird that loves to dive deep for fish! It has a long neck and can often be seen drying its wings in the sun. - **Category:** [Birds](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/bird) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 2/5 · Low - **Snaps:** 32 - **Habitat:** Coastal areas and lakes - **Also known as:** Black Cormorant, Large Cormorant ![Great Cormorant](https://res.cloudinary.com/drieglelr/image/upload/v1771424755/objects/4620.jpg) ## Appearance The Great Cormorant is a large, dark water bird with a sleek, glossy black body and a distinctive hooked bill. During breeding season, it often sports white patches on its head and flanks, setting it apart from other similar dark waterfowl. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Animalia - **Phylum:** Chordata - **Class:** Aves - **Order:** Suliformes - **Family:** Phalacrocoracidae - **Genus:** Phalacrocorax ## Interesting facts - Cormorants can dive over 200 feet deep to catch fish! - These birds spread their wings after diving, like sunbathing, to dry their feathers! - They have a special gland to remove salt from the seawater they drink! - They've been used for fishing by humans for thousands of years in Asia! ## Special abilities - **Super Dive Weights:** Great Cormorants can get their feathers waterlogged because it helps them sink quickly and dive deep to hunt fish. - **Underwater Eyes:** Great Cormorants have excellent underwater vision that helps them spot and catch fast-moving prey in murky depths. - **Wing Dryers:** Great Cormorants can spread their wings wide because it helps them dry their feathers quickly after a long fishing session. ## Measurements & details - **Length:** 70-102 cm - **Wingspan:** 121-160 cm - **Weight:** 1.5-5.3 kg - **Lifespan:** 10-20 years - **Speed:** 55 km/h - **Clutch Size:** 3-5 - **Incubation:** 27-30 days - **Migration Distance:** 1500 km ## Diet & Feeding These expert divers mainly eat fish, catching them underwater with their sharp, hooked bills! - **Age differences:** Young cormorants are fed regurgitated fish by parents and gradually learn to hunt for themselves. - **Primary Foods:** eels, perch, carp, sticklebacks - **Foraging Method:** Pursuit ## Ecological connections - **Hunts:** European Eel (*Anguilla anguilla*) — a common and important prey species in its diet. - **Hunts:** [European Perch](https://www.snappit.app/explore/european-perch) (*Perca fluviatilis*) — frequently caught in freshwater lakes and rivers. - **Hunts:** [Common Carp](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-carp) (*Cyprinus carpio*) — often targeted due to its abundance in many water bodies. - **Eaten by:** [White-tailed Eagle](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-tailed-eagle) (*Haliaeetus albicilla*) — adults and young can be preyed upon by this large raptor. ## 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. - [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. - [Aerial](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/aerial): Aerial creatures spend a significant portion of their lives airborne, utilizing flight for various activities such as hunting, migration, or nesting. - [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. - [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. ## Collections - [Birds](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/birds) ## Safety **Danger:** 2/5 · Low Watch quietly from a distance and never try to feed or chase wild animals. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify Great 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 Great Cormorant? 70-102 cm ### What is Great Cormorant's wingspan? 121-160 cm ### How much does Great Cormorant weigh? 1.5-5.3 kg ### How long does Great Cormorant live? 10-20 years ### How fast can Great Cormorant move? 55 km/h ### What does Great Cormorant eat? These expert divers mainly eat fish, catching them underwater with their sharp, hooked bills! ### Where is Great Cormorant usually found? Coastal areas and lakes ## Where to spot - [Colchester Zoo](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/colchester-zoo) — England, GB · Zoo - [Fota Wildlife Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/fota-wildlife-park) — Municipal District of Cobh, IE · Zoo - [Zoo Dortmund](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/zoo-dortmund) — North Rhine-Westphalia, DE · Zoo - [Zoo de la Palmyre](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/zoo-de-la-palmyre) — Nouvelle-Aquitaine, FR · Zoo - [Belfast Zoo](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/belfast-zoo) — Northern Ireland, GB · Zoo - [Birmingham Wildlife Conservation Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/birmingham-wildlife-conservation-park) — England, GB · Zoo [View all places to see Great Cormorant](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/great-cormorant) ## Watch - [Play video: Great Cormorant](https://www.snappit.app/videos/great-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: [Great Cormorant: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/great-cormorant)