Back to Field Guide
Great Cormorant
Phalacrocorax carbo
Migration Flyway
Showing primary migration corridor(s) for this species
Last Spotted Near You
About the Great Cormorant
The great cormorant (Phalacrocorax carbo), also known as just cormorant in Britain, as black shag or kawau in New Zealand, formerly also known as the great black cormorant across the Northern Hemisphere, the black cormorant in Australia, and the large cormorant in India, is a widespread member of the cormorant family of seabirds. It breeds in much of the Old World, Australasia, and the Atlantic coast of North America.
Source: Wikipedia
Classification
- Scientific name
- Phalacrocorax carbo
- Family
- Cormorants and Shags
- Order
- Suliformes
Similar species
Other members of the cormorants and shags family recorded in North America — a useful place to start if you are not certain of your identification.
Know when the Great Cormorant turns up near you
How rare bird alerts work →Gear for spotting Great Cormorant
Optics
Best Binoculars for Beginners
You don't need to spend a fortune. These four pairs will get you birding confidently on day one.
8 min readRead guide
Cameras
Cameras for Bird Photography
From phone adapters to dedicated rigs, here's what actually works for capturing birds in the field.
12 min readRead guide