Pied Cormorant (Phalacrocorax varius)

Sexes similar, male larger.

Adults: Above, black. Below, white. Black-and-white border starts above the eye. Outer parts of thigh, black. Lores, orange-yellow. Chin, bare skin, pale flesh, becoming purplish-pink in breeding birds. Eye, green. Eye-ring, blue. Bill, dark grey. Feet, black.

Immatures: General plumage dusky brown above, and white below. Irregular brown patches on underparts.

Downy Young: Naked at first, later black-downed above, white below.

Other Names (World)
Great Pied Cormorant, Pied Cormorant, Greater Pied Cormorant, Large Pied Cormorant, Australian Pied Cormorant, Yellow-faced Cormorant, Black-and-White Cormorant, Pied Shag, Greater Pied Shag, Large Pied Shag, Yellow-faced Shag, Black-and-White Shag

Family
Phalacrocoracidae (Cormorants)

Size
66 - 84 cm

First Described (Guide)
(Gmelin, 1789)

Derivation
Phal'-a-cro-cor'-ax - Gk, phalacros, bald; Gk, corax, crow or raven: varius - L., multi-colored

Abundance (Guide)
A

Moderately common to abundant throughout Australia.

Habitat
Coastal waters with sloping shorelines, estuaries, bays, tidal inlets, large inland lakes and rivers, irrigation ponds, coastal mangroves and offshore islands.

Range (Guide)

Australia (B), New Zealand (B).

Throughout mainland Australia, mainly coastal but, especially in the south-east, occurs also on larger inland bodies of water. Also New Zealand.

Rarity Status
View Rarity Status Information

Population
Estimated population is 35,000 - 1,000,000 (2010).

Status LC
Secure.

For more information see BirdLife International Species Factsheet.

Food
Aquatic life.

Voice
At nest male makes several loud greeting calls, such as, 'rick-tick-tick-tick' when landing. 't-t-t' before leaving nest and 'quog-wog-wog-wog' on the nest.

(32Kb) © ? (1)

Xeno-Canto Sound Files

Australian Pied Cormorant (Phalacrocorax varius) [XC215247]
by id from Wellington, Wellington City, Wellington, New Zealand (begging call)

Breeding Season (Guide)
All year round.

Nest
Nest of sticks and debris, lined with green eucalypt leaves and the bird's quill feathers, placed on a horizontal branch, in a tree, a mangrove, on a bush or man-made platforms at sea. Breeds in colonies.

Eggs (Guide)
2 - 5, usually 3; limy white with green tinge; oval; about 60 x 38 mm. Incubation: about 30 days; by both sexes.

Young
Fledge in about 50 days.

Subspecies
The following 2 subspecies are recognised:

varius (Gmelin, 1789) - New Zealand.
hypoleucos (von Brandt, JF, 1837) - Australia.

Similar Species
Black-faced Cormorant (Phalacrocorax fuscescens), which has a black bill and facial skin. Little Pied Cormorant (Microcarbo melanoleucos), which is much smaller, and has a stubbier bill, yellow on its sides, a long white eyebrow and no flank mark.

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References
See References.

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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