Norway has two subspecies of Great Cormorant - Phalacrocorax carbo carbo, and Phalacrocorax carbo sinensis. The latter, which we call Mellomskarv (Intermediate Cormorant) was dying out, but is now building up numbers and geographic spread. We have a few along our river, so every time we see a Great Cormorant, we have to zoom in close and get a good, profile shot of its bill. The nominate has the usual bright yellow chevron-shaped pattern. Sinensis has a yellow patch that cuts straight across the bill, forming a near-90 degree angle with the bird's gullet.
