Alternative name: Long-tailed Cormorant
- Microcarbo africanus
Phalacrocorax africanus
Identification
50-55 cm length and an 85 cm wingspan.
Black, glossed green, in the breeding season. The wing coverts are silvery. It has a long tail, a short head crest and a red or yellow face patch. The bill is yellow.
Sexes are similar, but non-breeding adults and juveniles are browner. A gallery search demonstrates some variability in plumage, for example extent of white in the head. Some southern populations retain the crest all year round.
Distribution
Taxonomy
This species was formerly considered to include Crowned Cormorant as a subspecies.
Formerly placed in genus Phalacrocorax.
Subspecies
Clements recognizes these subspecies[1]:
- M. a. africanus:
- Africa south of the Sahara
- M. a. pictilis:
Habitat
Freshwater wetlands or quiet coasts.
Behaviour
Breeding
2-4 eggs are laid in a nest in a tree or on the ground.
Diet
It can dive to considerable depths, but usually feeds in shallow water. It frequently brings prey to the surface. A wide variety of fish are taken.
References
- Clements, J. F., P. C. Rasmussen, T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, T. A. Fredericks, J. A. Gerbracht, D. Lepage, A. Spencer, S. M. Billerman, B. L. Sullivan, M. Smith, and C. L. Wood. 2024. The eBird/Clements checklist of Birds of the World: v2024. Downloaded from https://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/
- Gill, F, D Donsker, and P Rasmussen (Eds). 2024. IOC World Bird List (v 14.2). Doi 10.14344/IOC.ML.14.2. http://www.worldbirdnames.org/
External Links
GSearch checked for 2020 platform.1
