# Pygmy Cormorant (*Microcarbo pygmaeus*) The Pygmy Cormorant is a small, black bird that loves to swim and dive for fish. It has a cute, fluffy appearance and can often be seen perched on branches near water. - **Category:** [Birds](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/bird) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Habitat:** Wetlands ![Pygmy Cormorant](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Microcarbo_pygmaeus_-_Pygmy_cormorant.jpg&width=800) Photo: Warrieboy, CC BY-SA 4.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Microcarbo_pygmaeus_-_Pygmy_cormorant.jpg) ## Appearance The Pygmy Cormorant is a small, slender waterbird with glossy black plumage and a long tail. It has a short neck and a distinctive small yellow bill, often showing a white chin patch during breeding season. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Animalia - **Phylum:** Chordata - **Class:** Aves - **Order:** Suliformes - **Family:** Phalacrocoracidae - **Genus:** Microcarbo ## Interesting facts - Baby Pygmy Cormorants hatch completely naked and are fed by both parents! - Sometimes, they use their wings to help propel themselves underwater while hunting! - The Pygmy Cormorant is the smallest cormorant species in the entire world! - Unlike most cormorants, they prefer freshwater lakes and slow-moving rivers! ## Special abilities - **Underwater Hunter:** Pygmy Cormorant can chase fish underwater because its specially adapted eyes help it see clearly in murky water. - **Feather Weight:** Pygmy Cormorant has feathers that get wet easily, which helps them dive effortlessly to catch prey deep below the surface. - **Tree Nest Builder:** Pygmy Cormorant can build strong nests high in waterside trees and bushes, providing safe nurseries for their chicks. ## Measurements & details - **Length:** 45-55 cm - **Wingspan:** 60-90 cm - **Weight:** 0.25-0.4 kg - **Lifespan:** 8-10 years - **Speed:** 45 km/h - **Clutch Size:** 4-6 - **Incubation:** 27-30 days ## Diet & Feeding These expert underwater hunters primarily feast on small fish, but will also snack on insects and amphibians! - **Primary Foods:** Small fish, Frogs, Tadpoles, Aquatic insects - **Foraging Method:** Pursuit ## Ecological connections - **Hunts:** Prussian Carp (*Carassius gibelio*) — A primary food source in its freshwater habitats. - **Eaten by:** [White-tailed Eagle](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-tailed-eagle) (*Haliaeetus albicilla*) — Larger raptors occasionally prey on adult cormorants. - **Eaten by:** European Otter (*Lutra lutra*) — Otters may opportunistically prey on eggs or chicks. - **Shelter:** White Willow (*Salix alba*) — Nests are often built in the branches of waterside trees. ## 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. - [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. - [Wetland](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/wetland): This habitat trait identifies species found in wetlands, which are areas of land saturated with water, either permanently or seasonally, including marshes, swamps, and bogs. - [Carnivorous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/carnivorous): This trait identifies organisms whose diet consists entirely or primarily of animal tissue. - [Diurnal](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/diurnal): Diurnal animals are primarily active during daylight hours, typically resting or sleeping at night. - [Miniature](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/miniature): Pertaining to species that are significantly smaller than typical or average for their kind. - [Aquatic](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/aquatic): Aquatic habitats encompass environments where organisms live predominantly in water, including oceans, rivers, lakes, and wetlands. - [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 Always watch birds from a distance and don't disturb their homes. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify Pygmy 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 Pygmy Cormorant? 45-55 cm ### What is Pygmy Cormorant's wingspan? 60-90 cm ### How much does Pygmy Cormorant weigh? 0.25-0.4 kg ### How long does Pygmy Cormorant live? 8-10 years ### How fast can Pygmy Cormorant move? 45 km/h ### What does Pygmy Cormorant eat? These expert underwater hunters primarily feast on small fish, but will also snack on insects and amphibians! ### Where is Pygmy Cormorant usually found? Wetlands ## Watch - [Play video: Pygmy Cormorant](https://www.snappit.app/videos/pygmy-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: [Pygmy Cormorant: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/pygmy-cormorant)