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Great cormorant

Phalacrocorax carbo · Cormorants

Great cormorant (Phalacrocorax carbo): Large and bulky, 84-100 cm, with a relatively short tail, big head and thick bill. Adult has a broad white band across the throat behind bare yellow face skin; breeding birds show white flank patches. This profile does not establish whether taking it is legal anywhere.

Check rules for a place and dateOpen the great cormorant map

Certified rules currently represented in Hunt: coverage in development. This is coverage, not a legal answer.

Great cormorant swimming
Photo by Daniil Komov on Unsplash
Scientific name
Phalacrocorax carbo
Family
Phalacrocoracidae
In North America
Native
Range
In North America breeds along the Atlantic coast from the Gulf of St. Lawrence and southwestern Newfoundland to Nova Scotia (recolonized Maine); winters from the breeding range south to North Carolina, sometimes farther. Also Iceland, southwestern Greenland and much of the Old World.
Biology

How to identify it

Large and bulky, 84-100 cm, with a relatively short tail, big head and thick bill. [1][2]

Adult has a broad white band across the throat behind bare yellow face skin; breeding birds show white flank patches. [1][2]

Immature brownish, resembling Double-crested Cormorant but usually with brown neck and chest contrasting with a white belly. [1][2]

Throat pouch dull yellow, not orange. [1][2]

Compared with the double-crested cormorant: Smaller; orange throat pouch and no broad white throat band or white flank patches. [1][2]

Species it is confused with

Check these before deciding what you are looking at. If you are not certain what it is, do not shoot.

Field notes

  • Identification Confirm a great cormorant before you act. Compared with the double-crested cormorant: Smaller; orange throat pouch and no broad white throat band or white flank patches.[1][2]
Field knowledge

Where it lives

Mainly coastal, over shallow waters close to shore, especially sheltered bays; nests on sea cliffs. In the Old World regularly far inland on lakes, rivers and swamps. [1][2]

Field knowledge

How it behaves

Migrates in flocks, paralleling the coastline a short distance offshore [1][2]

Most foraging within 10 ft of the surface, diving to about 30 ft; feeds almost entirely on fish [1][2]

Nests on rocky cliffs of coasts and islands; wintering birds often around rock jetties and recently on large inland rivers [1][2]

Regulatory handoff

Where it is listed for legal take

These authorities list this species for legal take in their own regulations.

Where legal take is listed

Being listed is not an open season. Seasons, zones, licences, methods and limits decide whether this animal may be taken on a given day and place — check Hunt or the authority before you go. Listings read 2026-09-30.

Geospatial intelligence

Where it is found

In North America breeds along the Atlantic coast from the Gulf of St. Lawrence and southwestern Newfoundland to Nova Scotia (recolonized Maine); winters from the breeding range south to North Carolina, sometimes farther. Also Iceland, southwestern Greenland and much of the Old World.

Biology

Sources

Every claim above is attributed to one of these published sources.

  1. National Audubon Society · reviewed 2026-09-30

    National Audubon Society

  2. NatureServe · reviewed 2026-09-30

    NatureServe