Little Black Cormorant (left) & Little Pied Cormorant (right)
After swimming, they outstretch their wings to let their non-waterproof feathers dry.
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3Little Black Cormorant
Phalacocorax sulcirostris
More Names:
- Little Black Shag
Description:
55 - 65 centimetres in length. Black feathers with a grey bill.
Habitat:
Freshwater wetlands and often seen resting on rocks or logs that are in water.
Diet:
It dives and swims with its webbed feet to catch fish, crustaceans, aquatic insects underwater. They have special membrane coverings to protect their eyes when underwater. After swimming, they outstretch their wings to let their non-waterproof feathers dry (Ryan and Burwell 2000, 259).
Little Pied Cormorant
Phalacocorax melanoleucos
Other Names:
- Little Shag
- Kawaupaka (Maori name in New Zealand)
Description:
55 - 65 centimetres in length. Plumage is black on top and white on the underside. They have shorter bills than little black cormorants, measuring 3 centimetres and coloured yellow (Ryan and Burwell 2000, 260).
Habitat:
Freshwater wetlands and often seen resting on rocks or logs that are in water.
Breeding:
Eucalypts that are standing in water are great places to build platform-like nests consisting of sticks and branches. Little Pied Cormorant chicks are covered brown down feathers (Ryan and Burwell 2000, 260).
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