Photo: Stephen Turner at English Wikipedia / CC BY-SA 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Brandt’s Cormorant
Urile penicillatus
Brandt's Cormorant (Urile penicillatus) — Seabirds & Tubenoses of North America.
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The Brandt’s Cormorant (Urile penicillatus) is a member of the Phalacrocoracidae family found in Central America & Caribbean and North America. Adults weigh 2.2 kg. 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 Urile
- Species penicillatus
Where it lives
Temperate eastern North Pacific coast: southeastern Alaska to southwestern Baja California and central Gulf of California (northwestern Mexico)
Quick facts
- Weight
- 2.2 kg
- Diet
- Aquatic hunters
- Family
- Phalacrocoracidae
- Order
- Suliformes
- Habitat
- Wetland, lake & coast
How to identify
Similar birds
Vulnerable
Least Concern
Near Threatened
Vulnerable
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Brandt’s Cormorant hunts aquatic prey such as fish and aquatic invertebrates.
Behaviour
A bird of open sea and coastal waters, it swims and feeds in and around water.
Migration
The Brandt’s Cormorant is partially migratory: some populations move with the seasons while others stay resident year-round.
The Brandt’s Cormorant (Urile penicillatus) is a species of bird in the Phalacrocoracidae family, part of the order Suliformes. Its range spans Central America & Caribbean and North America. Its distribution covers NA, MA temperate e North Pacific coast: se Alaska to sw Baja California and c Gulf of California (nw Mexico).
It is a very large bird. Adults weighs around 2.2 kg, with a wing length of about 28.1 cm and a tail of around 11.5 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 326,000 km².
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Brandt’s Cormorant?
The Brandt’s Cormorant is a very large bird that weighs around 2.2 kg.
Where does the Brandt’s Cormorant live?
The Brandt’s Cormorant is found across Central America & Caribbean and North America with a range covering NA, MA temperate e North Pacific coast: se Alaska to sw Baja California and c Gulf of California (nw Mexico), where it is associated with wetlands, lakes and other open water.
What family does the Brandt’s Cormorant belong to?
The Brandt’s Cormorant (Urile penicillatus) belongs to the Phalacrocoracidae family, in the order Suliformes.
What does the Brandt’s Cormorant eat?
The Brandt’s Cormorant hunts aquatic prey such as fish and aquatic invertebrates.
Does the Brandt’s Cormorant migrate?
The Brandt’s Cormorant is partially migratory: some populations move with the seasons while others stay resident year-round.
Is the Brandt’s 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 Brandt’s Cormorant's range?
The Brandt’s Cormorant has a mapped global range of about 326,000 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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