Adults: Above, black. Below, white. Black-and-white border starts a little above the eye. Thigh, white. Eye, brown. Eye-ring, naked and dull yellow. Chin, naked and dull yellow. Bill, mostly dull yellow with dusky maxilla. Feet, black. In breeding plumage, a black tuft on forehead and white frills on sides of black crown. Bill, orange. Chin, orange.
Immatures: Black feathers on thighs and above eyes. Irregular brown patches in plumage. Bill, dusky, yellow at base.
Downy Young: Naked, becoming black-downed with bare orange head. Eye, black. Bill, black, grading to flesh grey face. Feet, grey-black.
Other Scientific Names
Microcarbo melanoleucos [Christidis and Boles (2008)]
Other Names (World)
Little Pied Cormorant, White-throated Shag, Little River Shag, Frilled Shag, Little Cormorant, Little Shag, Little Black-and-White Cormorant, Little Black-and-White Shag
Voice
Males 'coo-oo' when greeting prospective mates. Gutteral 'uk-uk-uk' by both sexes during nest relief, softer 'uk-uk-uk' in greeting chicks. Croaks in alarm. Chicks croak continously.
Little Pied Cormorant (Microcarbo melanoleucos) [XC794988]
by id from Coburg North, Victoria, Australia (begging call, traffic)
Little Pied Cormorant (Microcarbo melanoleucos) [XC182028]
by nick talbot from Tweed Heads South, New South Wales, Australia (call)
Breeding Season (Guide)
Variable. Spring and Summer in the south, Fall inland, late summer to winter in the north.
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Nest
A platform of sticks and debris, in a tree, on a bush or on the ground. In colonies.
Eggs (Guide)
Usually 3 - 5; pale blue or green, with limy coating; oval; about 46 x 31 mm. Incubation: by both sexes.
Young
Alticial, nidicolous.
Subspecies
Polymorphic subspecies brevirostris may be distinct species.
The following 3 subspecies are recognised:
melanoleucos (Vieillot, 1817) - Australia, Indonesia, New Guinea, Palau, Solomon Islands (except Rennell Island), Santa Cruz Island and New Caledonia and Campbell Island.
brevirostris (Gould, 1837) - New Zealand, including Stewart Island. Considered by some to be a full species.
brevicauda (Mayr, 1931) - Rennell Island and Solomon Islands.
Similar Species
Pied Cormorant (Phalacrocorax varius) which is larger, has a paler bill, yellow and red facial skin, black flanks. Black-faced Cormorant (Phalacrocorax fuscescens) which is larger, has a black bill, naked facial skin, black flanks.
Compare Images
The Field Guide to the Birds of Australia Pizzey, G., and Knight, E., 1997, Angus & Robertson, Sydney ISBN 0 207 19691 5
Field Guide to Australian Birds Morecombe, M., 2000, Steve Parish Publishing Pty Ltd. ISBN 1 876282 10 X
Field Guide to the Birds of Australia Simpson, K., and Day, N., 1999, 6th Edition, Viking ISBN 0 670 87918 5
Reader's Digest Complete Book of Australian Birds 1988, 2nd Edition, Reader's Digest ISBN 0 949819 99 9
What Bird is That? 1984, Revised Edition, Angus & Robertson, Sydney ISBN 0 207 14846 5
Handbook of Australian, New Zealand & Antarctic Birds 1990 - , Oxford University Press, Melbourne ISBN 0 19 553244 9
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