Little Pied Cormorant
Microcarbo melanoleucos
Also known as: Little Shag, Little Pied Shag
About This Species
This small, dark cormorant is a familiar sight on freshwater lakes, rivers, estuaries and coastal waters across Australia, New Guinea and nearby islands, often perched with wings spread to dry after diving for fish. It is a confident, easily observed bird, frequently seen resting on jetties, rocks or overhanging branches near water. It can be watched year-round, with early morning good for catching active fishing behaviour before the day warms up.
Ethical Viewing Guidelines
- A moderate distance from perches and nesting colonies is sensible, since cormorants can abandon eggs or chicks if repeatedly flushed from the nest.
- Australian wildlife legislation protects native waterbirds from harassment, and colonies in particular warrant a wide berth as disturbance can affect many pairs at once.
- Boats and watercraft should avoid approaching roosting or nesting sites too closely, since sudden noise or wake can cause panic flushing in colonial waterbirds.
LCAvesSuliformesPhalacrocoracidae
Seasonal Activity
898,928 sightings · 2000–2026
Citizen science records via GBIF
All monthsThis month
Classification
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Aves
- Order
- Suliformes
- Family
- Phalacrocoracidae
Photo
(c) Janne Kearney, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Janne Kearney
CC-BY-NC-4.0
Occurrence data from GBIF.