Photo: Josue Hermoza / CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Red-legged Cormorant
Poikilocarbo gaimardi
Red-legged Cormorant (Poikilocarbo gaimardi) — Seabirds & Tubenoses of South America.
Found across 3 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Red-legged Cormorant (Poikilocarbo gaimardi) is a member of the Phalacrocoracidae family found in South America. Adults weigh 1.4 kg. The IUCN Red List lists it as Near Threatened.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List (opens in a new tab)Close to qualifying for a threatened category in the near future.
Where it fits
- Class Aves
- Order Suliformes
- Family Phalacrocoracidae Cormorants, Shags
- Genus Poikilocarbo
- Species gaimardi
Where it lives
Eastern South Pacific coast: northern Peru to south-central Chile; disjunctly Santa Cruz Province, southeastern Argentina
Quick facts
- Weight
- 1.4 kg
- Diet
- Aquatic hunters
- Family
- Phalacrocoracidae
- Order
- Suliformes
- Habitat
- Wetland, lake & coast
How to identify
Similar birds
Least Concern
Endangered
Least Concern
Critically Endangered
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Red-legged 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 Red-legged Cormorant is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Red-legged Cormorant (Poikilocarbo gaimardi) is a species of bird in the Phalacrocoracidae family, part of the order Suliformes. It occurs naturally across South America. Its distribution covers SA e South Pacific coast: n Peru to sc Chile; disjunctly Santa Cruz Province, se Argentina.
It is a very large bird. Adults weighs around 1.4 kg, with a wing length of about 24.7 cm and a tail of around 9.3 cm.
The IUCN Red List lists it as Near Threatened. That means it is close to qualifying as threatened and is worth keeping a careful eye on.
Its mapped global range covers an estimated 529,000 km².
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Red-legged Cormorant?
The Red-legged Cormorant is a very large bird that weighs around 1.4 kg.
Where does the Red-legged Cormorant live?
The Red-legged Cormorant is found across South America with a range covering SA e South Pacific coast: n Peru to sc Chile; disjunctly Santa Cruz Province, se Argentina, where it is associated with wetlands, lakes and other open water.
What family does the Red-legged Cormorant belong to?
The Red-legged Cormorant (Poikilocarbo gaimardi) belongs to the Phalacrocoracidae family, in the order Suliformes.
What does the Red-legged Cormorant eat?
The Red-legged Cormorant hunts aquatic prey such as fish and aquatic invertebrates.
Does the Red-legged Cormorant migrate?
The Red-legged Cormorant is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Red-legged Cormorant endangered?
The IUCN Red List lists it as Near Threatened That means it is close to qualifying as threatened and is worth keeping a careful eye on.
How large is the Red-legged Cormorant's range?
The Red-legged Cormorant has a mapped global range of about 529,000 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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