Cormorant facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts
Cormorants and shags
Little pied cormorant
Phalacrocorax melanoleucos
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Subclass: Neornithes
Infraclass: Neoaves
Order: Pelecaniformes
Suborder: Sulae
Family: Phalacrocoracidae
Reichenbach, 1850
Genus: Phalacrocorax
Brisson, 1760

Cormorants are a family of seabirds. There are about 40 different species of Cormorants. In some areas, they are also known as shags.

Description

Cormorants range in size from as little as 45 cm (18 in) and 340 g (12 oz) to a maximum size 100 cm (40 in) and 5 kg (11 lbs). Most cormorants, including nearly all northern hemisphere species, have mainly dark feathers. Some southern hemisphere species are black and white. A few species are very colorful. Many species have areas of colored skin on the face. These areas can be bright blue, orange, red or yellow. They usually become more brightly colored in the breeding season. The bill is long, thin, and sharply hooked. Their feet have webbing between all four toes. Cormorants can dive for 4 minutes looking for food.

Habitat

Cormorants breed on rocky headlands and islands as well as near inland lakes, marshes and reservoirs. The birds spend the winter on coasts, estuaries, rivers, lakes and reservoirs.

Related pages

Images for kids

  • Cormorant yawning

    Great cormorant with hooked bill

  • Imperial Shags

    Imperial shags in Beagle Channel

  • 3 cormorants on a tree

    Three cormorants sitting high on a tree by the River Medway in Kent, England

  • Cormoran Shag

    Immature Phalacrocorax atriceps albiventer

  • Guanokormoran (Phalacrocorax bougainvillii) - Weltvogelpark Walsrode 2012-01

    Guanay cormorant (Phalacrocorax bougainvillii) at Weltvogelpark Walsrode

  • Smallcormorant

    Little cormorant, Microcarbo niger

  • Phalacrocorax-auritus-007

    The double-crested cormorant's crests are normally not visible

  • Phalacrocorax bougainvillii1

    Guanay cormorant, Leucocarbo bougainvillii

  • Brandt's Cormorant Alcatraz

    Brandt's cormorant (Phalacrocorax penicillatus) – crestless, but with ornamental plumes

  • Littleblackcormorant

    Little black cormorant, Phalacrocorax sulcirostris

  • Phalacrocorax carbo ja01

    Great cormorant drying its wings

  • Doublecrestcorm14

    Double-crested cormorant

  • Cormorant chinese

    A Chinese fisherman with his two cormorants

  • Yūhi Cormorants catching Fish

    Cormorants catching Fish. Hanging silk scroll by Yūhi, Middle Edo period, Japan, 1755


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Cormorant Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.