Cape Cormorant

It breeds from Namibia south to southern Cape Province. In the nonbreeding season, it may be found as far north as the mouth of the Congo, and also extends up the east coast of South Africa as far as Mozambique. In the 1970s, the breeding population was estimated as over 1 million in Namibia alone. However, the IUCN now classifies it as Near Threatened on the grounds of: ongoing pollution from oil slicks, disturbance to stocks of its prey, and pathogen or parasite increases.

The Cape Cormorant is classified as Near Threatened (NT), is close to qualifying for or is likely to qualify for a threatened category in the near future.

Cape Cormorant, Phalacrocorax capensis - Michelle du Toit Animal Demography Unit Adult Cape Cormorant Photo Michelle du Toit Though looking like nondescript black birds from a distance, at close range the black plumage of Cape cormorants can be seen to have a blueish sheen, which is iridescent in breeding adults. The eyes are turquoise in adults, with blue beads on the eyelids, and grey in juveniles. More

The Cape Cormorant or Cape Shag, Phalacrocorax capensis, is a bird endemic to the southwestern coasts of Africa. It breeds from Namibia south to southern Cape Province. In the nonbreeding season, it may be found as far north as the mouth of the Congo, and also extends up the east coast of South Africa as far as Mozambique. In the 1970s, the breeding population was estimated as over 1 million in Namibia alone. More

* Cape Cormorant, Phalacrocorax capensis * Socotra Cormorant, Phalacrocorax nigrogularis * Wahlberg's Cormorant or Bank Cormorant, Phalacrocorax neglectus * Temminck's Cormorant or Japanese Cormorant, Phalacrocorax capillatus * Brandt's Cormorant, Phalacrocorax penicillatus * Spectacled Cormorant, Phalacrocorax perspicillatus - extinct (c. More

Cape Cormorant: sometimes placed in Leucocarbo ("Leucocarboninae") Highly plesiomorphic among its relatives; a species from the southern coasts of Africa. It is apparently close to the common ancestor of the next group and, perhaps apart from the all-black plumage, looks almost identical to that long-extinct bird. More

Cape cormorants at nest with chicks© Ariadne Van Zandbergen / www.africaimagelibrary.com Male and female Cape cormorants on nest with chicks, male preening the female© Ken Preston-Mafham / Premaphotos Wildlife Group of juvenile Cape cormorants on beach© Malcolm Schuyl / www.flpa-images.co.uk Cape cormorant © Peter Pickford / Images of Africa Cape cormorant, rear view© Michelle Lindley Cape cormorant, side view© Leonard Lee Rue III / www.osfimages. More

large seabirds), the Cape cormorant has webbing between all four toes, making it a strong swimmer and proficient predator of fish (4). Its affinity for the sea is reflected in the common name, cormorant, which is a corruption of the French words corbeau marin, meaning sea crow (5). Juvenile Cape cormorants differ from adults in their dark brown plumage and pale underparts, but all ages have bright turquoise eyes (2) (3). More

Cape Cormorant drying his plumage Cape CormorantDescription: The Cape Cormorant is an almost entirely glossy black bird, though in breeding condition it has a purplish tinge and a few white plumes on head, neck, and cloacal areas. Its gular skin is a deep orangey yellow; unusually for a cormorant, its lores (the regions between the eyes and bill on the side of a bird's head) are feathered. More

Cape Cormorant Phalacrocorax capensis 2009 IUCN Red List Category (as evaluated by BirdLife International - the official Red List Authority for birds for IUCN): Near Threatened Justification This species is listed as Near Threatened owing to declines in its population and range, although large fluctuations in its population are related to what are thought to be natural cycles in the availability of prey. Prey stocks are currently decreasing off southern Africa, and the species therefore warrants close monitoring. More

long lines, Cape cormorant, Cape gull and a lone African penguin. Just beyond Cape Point we soon saw sooty shearwater, white-chinned petrel and shy albatross. Many of the shy albatross were young birds and had been brought in close to shore with the recent cold fronts and we soon had good views of these birds as we travelled further out. More

Large numbers of Cape Cormorant were feeding on what appeared to be small Anchovy. The feeding birds also included small numbers of Cape Gannet, Antarctic and Common Terns and a good view of a single much sought after tri-coloured Sabine More

The Cape Cormorant is an almost entirely glossy black bird, though in breeding condition it has a purplish tinge and a few white plumes on head, neck, and cloacal areas. Its gular skin is a deep orangey yellow; unusually for a cormorant, its lores are feathered. The bird's wing is about 240-280 mm in extent, and it weighs 800-1600 grams, with little sexual dimorphism. Cape Shags commonly forage in flocks, taking schooling fish from mid-water, such as pilchards, anchovies, and sandeels. More

Photos of a group of Cape Cormorants (Phalacrocorax capensis) on a rock on Dyer island, South Africa. = Cape Cormorants (Phalacrocorax capensis) are endemic on the Atlantic side of the southern Cape province. They live on the islands off the coast and fly to the sea in flocks for hunting. Cape Cormorants don More

cape cormorants standing on rock on seashore in front of setting sun / Namibia If you don't see the relevant video below, please follow this link and search for 466-79 in the search screen. Great Cormorant 0.350MB AVI View Movie Mangoverde World Bird Guide High quality video clip by William Hull. Bird is swimming. Great Cormorant 0. More

Cape Cormorants #1 and Cape Cormorants #2 from Dennis Paulson's site. Literature - - Copyright More

Here is another photo, of actual Cape Cormorants taken in South Africa. The photo was scanned at two different scales and modified slightly from the original (the birds were not modified!). These birds were photographed at a breeding colony, and they differ from the Ocean Shores bird in having more brightly colored throat pouches, but the configurations of the colors are as much like those of the Ocean Shores bird as any cormorant. More

* Cape Cormorant, Phalacrocorax capensis * Socotran Cormorant, Phalacrocorax nigrogularis * Wahlberg's Cormorant, Phalacrocorax neglectus * Temminck's Cormorant, Phalacrocorax capillatus * Common Shag, Phalacrocorax aristotelis More