A worldwide community photographing and learning about wildlife
Project Noah Nature School
Microcarbo niger
The Little Cormorant is about 50 centimetres (20 in) long and only slightly smaller than the Indian Cormorant (Phalacrocorax fuscicollis). The Indian Cormorant has a narrower and longer bill with ends in a prominent hook tip, blue iris and a more pointed head profile. The breeding adult bird has a glistening all black plumage with some white spots and filoplumes on the face. There is also a short crest on the back of the head. The eyes, gular skin and face are dark. In the non-breeding bird or juvenile, the plumage is brownish and the bill and gular skin can appear more fleshy. The crest becomes inconspicuous and a small and well-marked white patch on the throat is sometimes visible. Towards the west of the Indus river valley, its range can overlap with vagrant Pygmy Cormorants (Microcarbo pygmaeus) which can be difficult to differentiate in the field and is sometimes even considered to be conspecific. The sexes are indistinguishable in the field but males tend to be larger.
The Little Cormorant is found across India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and lowland Nepal. They are also found in parts of Burma, Thailand, Laos, Indonesia. It is not found in the Himalayas but vagrants have been seen in Ladakh. They are found in a range of wetlands ranging from small village ponds to large lakes and sometimes in tidal estuaries.
Spotted on Nov 11, 2012
Submitted on Nov 11, 2012
