The Great Cormorant (Phalacrocorax carbo) is a large waterbird found across the northern hemisphere. It is widely distributed across Europe, Asia, Africa, Australasia and North America. In this article we’ll take a detailed look at the range and distribution of the Great Cormorant worldwide.
Range in Europe
The Great Cormorant has a very wide range across Europe. It is found in the following countries:
- Iceland
- Norway
- Sweden
- Finland
- Denmark
- Germany
- Poland
- Netherlands
- Belgium
- France
- Spain
- Portugal
- Italy
- Malta
- Albania
- Greece
- Bulgaria
- Romania
- Ukraine
- Belarus
- Estonia
- Latvia
- Lithuania
- Czech Republic
- Slovakia
- Austria
- Hungary
- Slovenia
- Croatia
- Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Serbia
- Montenegro
- Macedonia
- United Kingdom
- Ireland
It breeds across much of this range, but the breeding populations in the south and west of the region are largely sedentary. The more northerly populations are migratory, wintering further south and west in Europe.
Range in Asia
The Great Cormorant also has an extremely large range across Asia. It is found in:
- Russia
- Kazakhstan
- Mongolia
- China
- Japan
- North Korea
- South Korea
- Vietnam
- Laos
- Thailand
- Myanmar
- Cambodia
- Malaysia
- Singapore
- Indonesia
- Philippines
- India
- Pakistan
- Iran
- Iraq
- Israel
- Jordan
- Lebanon
- Syria
- Saudi Arabia
- Yemen
- Oman
- Turkey
Some Asian populations are resident, while others are migratory and travel south to wintering grounds. The species winters as far south as Sri Lanka, Malaysia and Indonesia.
Range in Africa
In Africa, Great Cormorants are found along the Mediterranean coast, down the west coast, and in southern and eastern Africa. Countries where it occurs include:
- Morocco
- Algeria
- Tunisia
- Libya
- Egypt
- Sudan
- Eritrea
- Djibouti
- Somalia
- Kenya
- Tanzania
- Mozambique
- Madagascar
- South Africa
- Namibia
- Botswana
- Zimbabwe
- Zambia
- Malawi
- Angola
Some African populations are resident while others migrate within Africa or to neighbouring regions. It is rare in the tropical rainforests of central Africa.
Range in Australasia
In Australasia, the Great Cormorant is found in:
- Australia
- New Zealand
- New Caledonia
- Papua New Guinea
- Indonesia
- East Timor
The species is mostly resident across its range in Australasia. Australian populations are non-migratory while New Zealand populations are mostly sedentary but with local movements.
Range in North America
In North America, the Great Cormorant breeds along the Pacific coast, the Atlantic coast and around the Great Lakes. Its range includes:
- Alaska
- Canada
- USA
- Mexico
Northern populations migrate south in winter, while Pacific, Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean populations are resident. It winters as far south as Guatemala.
Range in Central and South America
In Central and South America, the Great Cormorant is found sparsely along the Pacific and Atlantic coasts. Countries where it occurs include:
- Guatemala
- Honduras
- Nicaragua
- Costa Rica
- Panama
- Colombia
- Venezuela
- Ecuador
- Peru
- Chile
- Argentina
- Uruguay
- Brazil
Some of these populations are resident while others are migratory and travel north in the southern winter.
Key Facts
To summarise the broad distribution of the Great Cormorant:
- It has an extremely large range across Europe, Asia, Africa, Australasia and North America.
- It occupies coastal regions as well as many inland wetlands.
- Some populations are resident while others are migratory.
- It is absent from only a few areas such as tropical rainforests.
- Its natural habitat is coasts, lakes, rivers and wetlands.
Breeding Range
During the breeding season, Great Cormorants are found in colonies in areas within their broad overall range. Key breeding areas include:
- Northern and Eastern Europe
- Coasts and inland wetlands of Asia
- Coastal North and East Africa
- Southern Africa
- Madagascar
- Australasia
- Pacific coast of North America
- Atlantic coast of North America
- Central USA around the Great Lakes
- Pacific coast of South America
- Atlantic coast of South America
Outside the breeding season, birds disperse more widely across their range. Migratory populations travel sometimes thousands of miles between breeding and wintering areas.
Population and Conservation Status
The Great Cormorant has an extremely large global population estimated at between 3.8 and 6.2 million birds. In Europe alone the breeding population is estimated at 440,000 to 500,000 pairs. Globally the population appears to be increasing.
Due to its large population size and extremely broad range, the Great Cormorant is classified as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Its global population is considered stable and it adapts well to man-made habitats such as reservoirs and fish farms.
In some areas it is persecuted by fisheries as a pest species, and some local populations have declined as a result. But overall it remains widespread and common globally.
Habitat
The Great Cormorant occupies a broad range of habitats and environments across its global distribution. Key habitat types include:
- Coastlines – breeds on coasts and feeds at sea and in coastal waters.
- Lakes – breeds and feeds on freshwater lakes of all sizes.
- Rivers – breeds and feeds on large river systems.
- Wetlands – uses marshes, swamps, deltas and flooded areas.
- Reservoirs – readily adapts to man-made habitats.
- Fish farms – often considered a pest species at aquaculture sites.
It requires areas of open water for feeding, coupled with undisturbed nest sites and roosting sites such as rocky islets, cliffs, trees, pylons or other structures. Some populations nest in colonies while others are more dispersed.
Diet and Feeding
The diet of the Great Cormorant consists almost exclusively of fish. It is a pursuit-diving bird, swimming underwater to catch its prey. Its main prey items include:
- Small and medium-sized fish such as minnows, sticklebacks and eels.
- Coarse fish including perch, carp and roach.
- Salmonids such as trout and salmon.
- Marine fish like herring, sprat and sand eels.
The Great Cormorant is a voracious and adaptable predator. It sometimes impacts recreational fisheries and fish farms where it can consume large numbers of stocked fish.
Migration
Some populations of the Great Cormorant are migratory while others are resident:
- Northern European populations migrate south and west from breeding grounds.
- Some Asian populations migrate to SE Asia in winter.
- Coastal North American populations migrate south in winter.
- Inland Great Lakes populations winter along the Gulf of Mexico.
- Australasian and African populations are largely sedentary.
Migratory journeys can cover thousands of miles between breeding sites and wintering grounds. Ringing studies show that some populations return to the exact same nesting colony each year.
Population | Migration Pattern |
---|---|
Northern Europe | Migratory – south and west in winter |
Asia | Part migratory, part resident |
Coastal North America | Migratory – south in winter |
Inland North America | Migratory – south to Gulf of Mexico |
Africa | Mostly resident |
Australasia | Resident |
Taxonomy and Evolution
The Great Cormorant belongs to the Phalacrocoracidae family of cormorants and shags. There are around 40 species in this family found worldwide. The genus Phalacrocorax includes around 25 of these species.
There are six recognized subspecies of the Great Cormorant:
- P.c.carbo – nominate, found in Europe and west Asia
- P.c.sinensis – eastern Asia
- P.c.maroccanus – northwest Africa
- P.c.lucidus – west coast of southern Africa
- P.c.hanedae – east coast of southern Africa
- P.c.novaehollandiae – Australasia
Fossils show the Great Cormorant genus dates back at least to the Miocene era 23-5 million years ago. Its closet relative is believed to be the extinct Spectacled Cormorant of the mid-Pliocene.
Genetic evidence indicates Great Cormorants evolved in sympatry with Neotropic Cormorants in South America before dispersing northwards.
Related Species
The Great Cormorant’s closest living relatives include:
- Neotropic Cormorant – South and Central America
- Double-crested Cormorant – North America
- European Shag – along Atlantic coasts
- Imperial Shag – southern South America
- Red-faced Cormorant – New Zealand
Behaviour
Great Cormorants exhibit a range of behaviours both on the ground and in water:
- Swims low on the water with head and bill submerged as it searches for prey.
- Plunge dives from the surface pursuing fish underwater.
- Flies strongly with rapid wingbeats and neck stretched out.
- Roosts communally, often standing with wings spread out to dry.
- Nests colonially, making a nest of sticks in a tree or on the ground.
- Male selects nest material while female constructs nest.
- Young are fed by regurgitation from the parents’ throats.
It is a sociable species, often feeding, roosting, migrating and nesting in groups. But it also adapts well to solitary nesting and foraging.
Conclusion
In summary, the Great Cormorant has a vast global range spanning six continents. Its habitat and migratory patterns vary across its range. Some populations are resident while others migrate long distances. It is a numerous and widespread species with a large global population.
The Great Cormorant occupies coastlines, wetlands and water bodies across its range. It catches fish by pursuit diving underwater. While adaptable, it requires undisturbed nest sites and roosting sites.
Overall the Great Cormorant remains common and not considered threatened. Its ability to exploit man-made habitats has allowed its population to increase in many regions.