Species:

Cormorant (Phalacrocorax carbo)

Little Grebe (Tachybaptus ruficollis)

Change species:
Main Images:
Next species:
Length (cm):
80-100
25-29
Wingspan (cm):
130-160
40-45
Weight (gram):
1700-3000
140-193
Size group:
Bigger than a crow
Thrush-size
Main Texts:
Appearance:

Easily confused with Shag when not in breeding plumage. Cormorant is larger, heavier built, has a thicker neck and less rounded profile. Head diagnostically wedge-shape, with the back of the head as the highest point. Bill never yellow (but yellow naked area at base of bill). Juveniles usually with whiter belly than Shag, and with less brown tinge. Behavioural differences from shag; often dives without jumping, more common in brackish water, often flies high, and often chooses higher ground or objects when perching. Slower wing-beats than Shag, with more separated primaries. Subspecies sinensis with larger gular poach angle (se fig.).

Sound:

Mostly heard at breeding ground. Coarse, vibrating calls "hahahahaharo". Also deep, rattling and creaking sounds.

Social interaction:

Error loading Flash for sound!
See sound file


Distribution:

Xeno-canto: map

Ecology:

Birdlife ecology

Links:

Observation.org Latest observations

Video IBC

Image search Flickr NB! May give other species

Sound search at Xeno-canto

Featherbase

CC

Sounds:Recorded by Anon Torimi,http://www.xeno-canto.org ,CC license

Appearance:

Small, dark grebe with bright yellow gape, short neck and bill. Winter plumage paler than summer, with chestnut flanks, neck and cheeks, giving much less contrast between upper- and underparts than in Slavonian Grebe. Fluffy, pale stern. No crest or tufts/tippets and no white markings on wings.

Sound:

Relatively vocal compared to many other grebes. Call; sometimes a single quite clear high pitched "dydlylyyt". More often combined into longer phrases with harsher quality, oscillating like laughter and travelling up and down in pitch in agitated motion. Reminiscent of female Cuckoo.

Display:

Error loading Flash for sound!
See sound file


Distribution:

Xeno-canto: map

Ecology:

Birdlife ecology

Links:

Observation.org Latest observations

Video IBC

Image search Flickr NB! May give other species

Sound search at Xeno-canto

Featherbase

CC

Similar species (image):
Similar species (sound):
Silhouette Group:
Auks/Cormorants
Silhouette
Loons/grebes
Silhouette
Several different images of the species
ImageImageImageImageImageImageImageImage
ImageImageImageImageImageImageImageImage
Several different sounds of the species