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Pelagic Cormorant

Phalacrocorax pelagicusOrder: PELECANIFORMESFamily: Cormorants (Phalacrocoracidae)

Pelagic Cormorant Portrait_2
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General

Pelagic Cormorant: Small cormorant with glossy black body and bold white patches on flanks. Face and throat pouch are red. Head and neck are held straight in flight, with head appearing no wider than neck. Sexes are similar. Breeding adult has fine white plumes on sides of neck. Winter adult lacks red face and white flank patches. Juvenile resembles winter adult but is duller.

Range and Habitat

Pelagic Cormorant: Breeds from the Bering Sea south to northern Baja California. Spends winters south of southern Alaska. Preferred habitats include offshore and inshore waters.

Voice Text

No data available.

Interesting Facts

 The Pelagic Cormorant is also known as the Baird’s Cormorant.

 This bird uses its own guano to solidify its nest materials and to cement its nest to the cliff face.

 It can dive as deep as 100 feet in coastal waters to feed on the sea bottom.

 A group of cormorants has many collective nouns, including a "flight", "gulp", "rookery", "sunning", and "swim" of cormorants.



Author

Gary Owen Dick

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Range Map for Pelagic Cormorant
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Bird Call Credits: The Macaulay Library of Natural Sounds at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Martyn Stewart, http://www.naturesound.org, Redmond, Washington USA. The reuse or copying of bird calls in this database is strictly forbidden.
Family Cormorant (Phalacrocoracidae)_blue
Species Phalacrocorax pelagicus
Length26 - 29 Inches
Wingspan40 Inches

Pelagic Cormorant

Pelagic Cormorant: Small cormorant with glossy black body and bold white patches on flanks. Red face and throat pouch. Head and neck are held straight in flight, with head appearing no wider than neck. Feeds on fish, crustaceans and other invertebrates. Graceful direct flight with rapid wing beats.

● Song: No data available.

● Foraging & Feeding: Pelagic Cormorant: Diet consists of marine fish, crustaceans, and other invertebrates; forages by diving from the surface, using its large, webbed feet to swim underwater in search of food.

● Breeding & nesting: Pelagic Cormorant: Three to five pale blue eggs are laid in a nest made of seaweed, feathers, and other debris; nests become large due to re-use year after year. Incubation ranges from 26 to 37 days and is carried out by both parents.

● Similar species: Pelagic Cormorant: Loons lack hooked bills. Other cormorants are larger and lack combination of red faces and red throat pouches.

Flight Pattern

Direct flight with rapid wing beats., Graceful.
Pelagic Cormorant Body Illustration_2
● Range & Habitat: Pelagic Cormorant: Breeds from the Bering Sea south to northern Baja California. Spends winters south of southern Alaska. Preferred habitats include offshore and inshore waters.
BreedingMonogamous, Colonial
PopulationStable
MigrationNonmigratory
Weight72 Ounces