Little Black Cormorant (Phalacrocorax sulcirostris)

Sexes alike, male larger.

Adults: General plumage black. At start of breeding, slight concentrations of white nuptial plumes on side of head. Bill, grey-black. Feet, black.

Immatures: General plumage dusky with some irregular white spots on underparts. Eye, brown.

Other Names (World)
Little Black Cormorant, Little Black Shag

Family
Phalacrocoracidae (Cormorants)

Size
58 - 65 cm

First Described (Guide)
(Brandt, 1837)

Derivation
Phal'-a-cro-cor'-ax - Gk, phalacros, bald; Gk, corax, crow or raven: sul-ci-ros'-tris - L., sulcus, furrow; rostrum, bill

Abundance (Guide)
A

Common. Sedentary. Nomadic.

Habitat
Coastal waters, bays, inlets, mangroves, rivers, swamps, lakes, reservoirs. More common on inland waters than on marine waters.

Range (Guide)

Australia, Indonesia, New Caledonia, New Zealand (B), Papua New Guinea, Timor-Leste (B) (NB).

Vagrant to Christmas Island, Palau.

Image of Range of Little Black Cormorant

Australia generally.

Rarity Status
Currently this species is not classified as a rarity in this country OR information has not been updated.

Population
Estimated population is 110,000 - 1,000,000 (2010).

Status LC
Secure.

For more information see BirdLife International Species Factsheet.

Food
Aquatic life, especially fish.

Voice
Female silent at nest. Male makes ticking sounds. Both creak 'kraa-kraa-kraa' in nest relief.

Listen to call of Little Black Cormorant

(24Kb) © ? (1)

Xeno-Canto Sound Files (more (6)...)

Little Black Cormorant (Phalacrocorax sulcirostris) [XC93607]
by nick talbot from Mangrove Rehabilitation Project, Bipolo, Timor, Indonesia (call)

Little Black Cormorant (Phalacrocorax sulcirostris) [XC722521]
by James Lambert from Royal Botanic Garden Sydney (near Sydney), Council of the City of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia (call)

Breeding Season (Guide)
Mainly Spring - Autumn, depending on food supply.

Nest
A platform of sticks and debris, in a tree, on a bush, often in same tree as Little Pied Cormorant (Microcarbo melanoleucos) and Oriental Darter (Anhinga melanogaster). Breeds in large colonies.

Eggs (Guide)
Upto 6, usually 4; chalky green; oval; about 48 x 32 mm. Incubation: 3 - 4 weeks; by both sexes.

Subspecies
No subspecies.

Similar Species
Great Cormorant (Phalacrocorax carbo), which has a horn colored bill and an ochre-yellow throat pouch and is larger. Glossy Ibis (Plegadis falcinellus), when flying in flocks, but note the drooping neck and legs.

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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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