Photo: JJ Harrison (https://www.jjharrison.com.au/) / CC BY-SA 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons)

Least Concern

Seabirds & Tubenoses

Little Pied Cormorant

Microcarbo melanoleucos

Little Pied Cormorant (Microcarbo melanoleucos) — Seabirds & Tubenoses of Australia & Oceania.

Field guide · LocationsWhere to see this bird

Found across 11 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.

Regional checklists

Birds of Australia Birds of Indonesia Birds of New Zealand Birds of Australian Capital Territory Birds of New South Wales Birds of Northern Territory Birds of Queensland Birds of South Australia Birds of Tasmania Birds of Victoria

By family

Cormorants of New Zealand

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The Little Pied Cormorant (Microcarbo melanoleucos) is a member of the Phalacrocoracidae family found in Australia & Oceania. Adults weigh 727 g. The IUCN Red List lists it as Least Concern.

Conservation status

IUCN Red List

LC Least Concern

Widespread and abundant — not currently at risk.

Where it fits

Class Aves
Order Suliformes
Family Phalacrocoracidae Cormorants, Shags
Genus Microcarbo
Species melanoleucos

Where it lives

Lesser Sundas and Australasia to Solomon Is., New Caledonia and New Zealand

Australia & Oceania

Quick facts

Weight: 727 g
Diet: Aquatic hunters
Family: Phalacrocoracidae
Order: Suliformes
Habitat: Wetland, lake & coast

How to identify

Similar birds

Least Concern

Biology & behaviour

Diet

The Little Pied Cormorant hunts aquatic prey such as fish and aquatic invertebrates.

Behaviour

A bird of wetlands, it swims and feeds in and around water.

Migration

The Little Pied Cormorant is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.

The Little Pied Cormorant (Microcarbo melanoleucos) is a species of bird in the Phalacrocoracidae family, part of the order Suliformes. It is found across Australia & Oceania. Its distribution covers AU Lesser Sundas and Australasia to Solomon Is., New Caledonia and New Zealand.

It is a large bird. Adults weighs around 727 g, with a wing length of about 21.9 cm and a tail of around 15.3 cm.

The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.

Its mapped global range covers an estimated 3.1 million km².

Frequently asked questions

How big is the Little Pied Cormorant?

The Little Pied Cormorant is a large bird that weighs around 727 g.

Where does the Little Pied Cormorant live?

The Little Pied Cormorant is found across Australia & Oceania with a range covering AU Lesser Sundas and Australasia to Solomon Is., New Caledonia and New Zealand, where it is associated with wetlands, lakes and other open water.

What family does the Little Pied Cormorant belong to?

The Little Pied Cormorant (Microcarbo melanoleucos) belongs to the Phalacrocoracidae family, in the order Suliformes.

What does the Little Pied Cormorant eat?

The Little Pied Cormorant hunts aquatic prey such as fish and aquatic invertebrates.

Does the Little Pied Cormorant migrate?

The Little Pied Cormorant is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.

Is the Little Pied Cormorant endangered?

The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.

How large is the Little Pied Cormorant's range?

The Little Pied Cormorant has a mapped global range of about 3.1 million km².