Cape cormorant facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Cape cormorant |
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| Walvis Bay, Namibia | |
| Conservation status | |
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| Genus: |
Phalacrocorax
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| Species: |
capensis
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The Cape cormorant, sometimes called the Cape shag, is a unique bird found only along the southwestern coasts of Africa. These birds are known for their excellent diving skills and their love for fish.
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Where Do Cape Cormorants Live?
These birds build their nests and raise their young along the coasts from Namibia down to the Western Cape in South Africa. When it's not breeding season, they can travel quite far. Some fly north all the way to the mouth of the Congo River. Others go east along the coast of South Africa, reaching as far as Mozambique.
In the 1970s, there were over a million Cape cormorants just in Namibia! Sadly, their numbers have dropped very quickly over the last three generations. Because of this fast decline, the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) now lists the Cape cormorant as an "Endangered" species. This means they are at a high risk of becoming extinct.
What Do Cape Cormorants Look Like?
The Cape cormorant is almost completely black and looks very shiny. When it's breeding season, its feathers can have a purplish shine. It might also grow a few white feathers on its head, neck, and near its tail.
A special feature of this bird is its bright orange-yellow skin around its throat, called the gular skin. Unlike many other cormorants, the skin around its eyes (called the lores) is covered in feathers. These birds are about 24 to 28 centimeters long from wingtip to wingtip. They usually weigh between 800 and 1600 grams. Male and female Cape cormorants look very similar, so it's hard to tell them apart just by looking.
What Do Cape Cormorants Eat?
Cape cormorants often hunt for food in large groups. They love to eat schooling fish, which are fish that swim together in big groups. Their favorite meals include small fish like pilchards, anchovies, and sand eels. They usually catch these fish from the middle of the water. The fish they eat are typically much smaller than what other cormorants in the same area might catch.
Who Are Their Predators?
Even though they are good hunters, Cape cormorants have their own predators. Black-backed jackals sometimes catch adult birds when they are resting. Other birds can also be a danger, especially to their nests. These include great cormorants, eastern great white pelicans, and kelp gulls, which might try to eat their eggs or young chicks.
Gallery
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Cape Town, South Africa
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Cape cormorants at Boulders Beach, South Africa
