Home › Aves › Phalacrocoracidae › Great Cormorant (Phalacrocorax carbo)
SPECIES PROFILE
Great Cormorant (Phalacrocorax carbo)
Phalacrocorax
IUCN STATUS
Least Concern
CONSERVATION STATUS
Least Concern
CLASS
Aves
GEOGRAPHICAL RANGE
Indian subcontinent Europe Africa
DIET
Carnivorous
HABITAT
Coastal waters lakes rivers
🔬 Classification
PHYLUM
Chordata
CLASS
Aves
ORDER
Suliformes
FAMILY
Phalacrocoracidae
GENUS
Phalacrocorax
📋 Description
SIZE
80-100 cm long 1.5-3.5 kg
COLORATION
Black with white throat yellow facial skin
ADAPTATIONS
Webbed feet long neck for diving
🌿 Ecology
HABITAT
Coastal waters lakes rivers
DIET
Carnivorous
GEOGRAPHIC RANGE
Indian subcontinent Europe Africa
REPRODUCTION
Lays 3-5 eggs in tree or cliff nests incubated 28-31 days
DIET DETAILS
Fish eels crustaceans
⚠️ Threats & Conservation
PRIMARY THREATS
Water pollution overfishing
💡 Interesting Facts
1
Large Divers: Great Cormorants dive with 2.5 kg bodies catching 500 grams of fish daily in Chilika's waters. Their white throats are distinctive.
2
Colonial Fishers: These cormorants cover 3000 sq km in Odisha's wetlands nesting in trees. Pollution threatens their fish prey.
🔭 Sighting Guide
📍 BEST PLACES TO SIGHT
Chilika Lake in Odisha
Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary in Rajasthan
Sundarbans National Park in West Bengal
🗓️ BEST TIME TO SIGHT
October-March Dry season concentrates fish for spotting cormorants
🎯 SIGHTING TIPS
Watch great cormorants drying wings on perches
