Neotropic Cormorant

The Neotropic Cormorant is the smallest and most widespread cormorant in Latin America, ranging from the southern United States through Mexico, Central America, and much of South America. It is a slim, adaptable waterbird found on both freshwater and coastal habitats.

Appearance

Adults are entirely glossy black with a bronzy sheen, a thin, pointed bill, and a small patch of yellowish-buff facial skin at the base of the bill. In breeding plumage, this facial patch is bordered by a thin line of white feathering, and short white plumes may appear on the sides of the head.

Key field marks

• Smaller, slimmer build with a thinner bill than Double-crested Cormorant
• Small yellowish-buff facial patch, pointed at the rear
• Thin white border to the facial skin in breeding plumage
• Long tail relative to body size

Similar species

Double-crested Cormorant is larger and bulkier with more extensive orange facial skin and a thicker bill; where the two overlap in the southern United States and Mexico, size and bill thickness are the most reliable distinctions.

Habitat and range

Neotropic Cormorants occupy a very broad range of freshwater and coastal wetland habitats, including lakes, rivers, marshes, and estuaries, from the southern United States through Mexico, Central America, and across most of South America.

Migration

Most populations are resident or make only local movements related to water levels, though northern populations at the edge of the range may show some seasonal movement. The species has expanded its range northward into parts of the southern United States in recent decades.

Behavior

Neotropic Cormorants forage by diving and swimming underwater in pursuit of fish, often in shallow freshwater habitats, and like other cormorants regularly perch with wings spread to dry.

Voice

Adults give low grunting or pig-like calls, mainly around breeding colonies.

Nesting and breeding

They nest colonially, often in trees, shrubs, or on the ground on islands, frequently alongside herons and other waterbirds, building a stick nest. Typically three to four eggs are laid, with both parents sharing incubation and chick care.