Photo: Mike's Birds from Riverside, CA, US / CC BY-SA 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Little Black Cormorant
Phalacrocorax sulcirostris
Little Black Cormorant (Phalacrocorax sulcirostris) — Seabirds & Tubenoses of South & Southeast Asia.
Found across 11 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Little Black Cormorant (Phalacrocorax sulcirostris) is a member of the Phalacrocoracidae family found in Australia & Oceania and South & Southeast Asia. Adults weigh 995 g. The IUCN Red List lists it as Least Concern.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List (opens in a new tab)Widespread and abundant — not currently at risk.
Where it fits
- Class Aves
- Order Suliformes
- Family Phalacrocoracidae Cormorants, Shags
- Genus Phalacrocorax
- Species sulcirostris
Where it lives
Coastal and inland Java and Sulawesi through New Guinea region, southwestern, eastern Australia including Tasmania, New Caledonia and North I. (New Zealand)
Quick facts
- Weight
- 995 g
- Diet
- Aquatic hunters
- Family
- Phalacrocoracidae
- Order
- Suliformes
- Habitat
- Wetland, lake & coast
How to identify
Similar birds
Least Concern
Least Concern
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Little Black 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 Black Cormorant is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Little Black Cormorant (Phalacrocorax sulcirostris) is a species of bird in the Phalacrocoracidae family, part of the order Suliformes. It is found across Australia & Oceania and South & Southeast Asia. Its distribution covers OR, AU coastal and inland Java and Sulawesi through New Guinea region, sw, e Australia including Tasmania, New Caledonia and North I. (New Zealand).
It is a very large bird. Adults weighs around 995 g, with a wing length of about 24.9 cm and a tail of around 12.9 cm.
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
The species has a mapped global range of roughly 2.4 million km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Little Black Cormorant?
The Little Black Cormorant is a very large bird that weighs around 995 g.
Where does the Little Black Cormorant live?
The Little Black Cormorant is found across Australia & Oceania and South & Southeast Asia with a range covering OR, AU coastal and inland Java and Sulawesi through New Guinea region, sw, e Australia including Tasmania, New Caledonia and North I. (New Zealand), where it is associated with wetlands, lakes and other open water.
What family does the Little Black Cormorant belong to?
The Little Black Cormorant (Phalacrocorax sulcirostris) belongs to the Phalacrocoracidae family, in the order Suliformes.
What does the Little Black Cormorant eat?
The Little Black Cormorant hunts aquatic prey such as fish and aquatic invertebrates.
Does the Little Black Cormorant migrate?
The Little Black Cormorant is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Little Black 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.
What sound does the Little Black Cormorant make?
1 real field recording of the Little Black Cormorant — including its call — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Little Black Cormorant's range?
The Little Black Cormorant has a mapped global range of about 2.4 million km².
Conservation
Every bird benefits from bird-safe windows, native plants, and keeping cats indoors. Small changes at home add up to real protection.
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