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Pelagic cormorant

Urile pelagicus · Cormorants

Pelagic cormorant (Urile pelagicus): Smallest Pacific-coast cormorant, 61-81 cm, with a small head and thin bill. Very glossy overall; dark red facial skin hard to see. This profile does not establish whether taking it is legal anywhere.

Check rules for a place and date

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

Scientific name
Urile pelagicus
Family
Phalacrocoracidae
In North America
Native
Range
Pacific coast from the Bering Strait and Alaska south to Baja California, including British Columbia; northernmost breeders move south in winter.
Biology

How to identify it

Smallest Pacific-coast cormorant, 61-81 cm, with a small head and thin bill. [1][2][3]

Very glossy overall; dark red facial skin hard to see. [1][2][3]

Breeding adults show white flank patches. [1][2][3]

Immatures plain dark brown, best identified by shape. [1][2][3]

Compared with the other pacific-coast cormorants: Larger with a bigger head and thicker bill. [1][2][3]

Field notes

  • Identification Confirm a pelagic cormorant before you act. Compared with the other pacific-coast cormorants: Larger with a bigger head and thicker bill.[1][2][3]
Field knowledge

Where it lives

Rocky coasts, bays and sounds, usually close to shore, near deep water at cliff bases. [1][2][3]

Field knowledge

How it behaves

Dives from the surface to at least 120 ft, taking fish near the bottom over rocky reefs [1][2][3]

Forages singly; groups perch on rocks with wings held out to dry [1][2][3]

Nests in colonies on narrow near-vertical cliff ledges; male flashes white flank patches in display [1][2][3]

Groaning and hissing calls at colonies; shy and hard to approach [1][2][3]

Regulatory handoff

Take status not established

North Ground has not established meaningful legal take of this species. That is a gap in the evidence, not a finding that it is protected or that it is open.

Geospatial intelligence

Where it is found

Pacific coast from the Bering Strait and Alaska south to Baja California, including British Columbia; northernmost breeders move south in winter.

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

  3. Environnement et Changement climatique Canada · reviewed 2026-09-30

    Environnement et Changement climatique Canada