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Great Cormorant
Birds diurnal

Great Cormorant

Phalacrocorax carbo

An ancient-looking master of the water, the Great Cormorant is famous for its dramatic wing-drying silhouette and its incredible prowess as an underwater hunter. Often found standing like a dark sentinel along shorelines, this bird is a true icon of our wetlands and coasts.

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Quick Identification

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Size

Length: 70–102 cm (28–40 in); Wingspan: 121–160 cm (48–63 in); Weight: 1.5–5.3 kg (3.3–11.7 lbs)

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Colors

Mainly black plumage with a bronze-green or blue metallic sheen; yellow or orange gular (throat) pouch bordered by white feathers; breeding adults feature white thigh patches and white filoplumes on the head.

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Key Features

  • Heavy, hooked bill for gripping slippery fish
  • Large, four-toed fully webbed feet
  • Iconic wing-spreading posture when perched
  • Upright, 'sentry-like' stance while standing on rocks or docks

When You’ll See Them

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Activity pattern diurnal
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Peak hours 7-11 AM, 3-6 PM
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Season Year-round in many temperate areas; peaks during winter in more southerly regions
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Diet Primarily fish, including eels, flatfish, and various freshwater species. They are pursuit-divers, using their powerful webbed feet to chase prey through the water column or along the bottom.
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Habitat Widespread across coastal regions, estuaries, large rivers, lakes, and reservoirs. They are increasingly found in suburban park lakes and inland wetlands with sufficient fish populations.

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Behavior

The Great Cormorant is a master of the underwater world, renowned for its incredible diving ability. Unlike most waterfowl, its feathers are not fully waterproof, which reduces buoyancy and allows it to sink more easily and swim faster underwater. This lack of oil is why you will frequently see them perched in a dramatic 'heraldic' pose, with their wings spread wide to dry in the wind and sun.

These birds are highly social and often congregate in large roosts or colonies. They are observant and routine-oriented, frequently returning to the same fishing spots and sunning perches day after day. While they can be wary of humans, they have adapted well to artificial environments, often using piers, bridges, and buoys as convenient resting spots near productive hunting grounds.

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Camera Tips

To capture the Great Cormorant on camera, you need to think like a bird looking for a sunbath. Identify 'loafing' spots—these are typically exposed rocks, fallen logs, or dock pilings that are surrounded by water. Look for the tell-tale white 'whitewash' (guano) that marks a favorite perch. Mount your camera on a nearby post or a stable tripod-equipped stake at a height of 3 to 5 feet, ensuring the lens is level with the perch to get that intimate, eye-level perspective.

Lighting is critical for cormorants because their black feathers can easily lose detail in harsh sun. Position your camera so the sun is at its back, illuminating the bird’s front during the morning or late afternoon. This 'golden hour' light will bring out the hidden bronze and blue iridescence in their plumage. If you are using a trigger-based camera, set it to a high sensitivity with a short recovery time, as cormorants often perform interesting behaviors like throat-fluttering (gular fluttering) or elaborate feather-preening after a dive.

While traditional bird feeders won't work, you can attract them to a specific spot on a waterfront property by installing a 'sacrificial' perch, such as a sturdy horizontal branch extending over the water. Cormorants prefer perches with a clear 360-degree view to stay safe from predators. If your camera has a time-lapse mode, consider setting it to take a photo every 5-10 minutes during the morning hours; this is a great way to catch them as they fly in from their roosts to begin their day.

Because cormorants are large and their wing-drying pose can be quite wide, give them plenty of 'breathing room' in the frame. A distance of 15-20 feet is usually ideal for a standard wide-angle trail camera lens to capture the full wingspan without clipping the edges. If your camera records video, prioritize a high frame rate (60fps or higher) to capture the rapid, powerful wing beats as they take off, which often involves a characteristic 'skittering' across the water surface.

Similar Species

Species that look similar or are commonly confused with Great Cormorant.

Double-crested Cormorant

Smaller with a more orange-yellow throat pouch and lacks the white facial feathering found on the Great Cormorant.

European Shag

Distinctly smaller and slimmer with a thinner bill and a steeper forehead; lacks the white throat and thigh patches.

Frequently Asked Questions

Great Cormorants are diurnal, meaning they are active during the day. Their peak activity occurs in the early morning for their first feeding session and again in the late afternoon before they return to communal roosts for the night.
Great Cormorants aren't attracted by seeds or suet. To see them, you generally need to live near a body of water with a healthy fish population. You can encourage them to land by providing a stable, elevated perch like a dock or a large branch overhanging the water.
Their diet consists almost entirely of fish. They are generalists and will eat whatever is most abundant, from small schooling fish to larger bottom-dwellers like eels and flatfish, which they swallow whole.
Yes, they are highly adaptable and are becoming increasingly common in suburban areas with large ponds, reservoirs, or slow-moving rivers, often moving inland from the coast during the winter months.
Great Cormorants are larger and heavier-set. The most reliable indicator is the throat: Great Cormorants have a white feather border around their yellow throat patch, whereas Double-crested Cormorants have a more orange throat and lack the white facial feathers.

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