Little Cormorant
Microcarbo niger
- Family
- Cormorants and Shags (Phalacrocoracidae)
- Order
- Suliformes
Overview
The little cormorant (Microcarbo niger) is a member of the cormorant family of seabirds. Slightly smaller than the Indian cormorant it lacks a peaked head and has a shorter beak. It is widely distributed across the Indian subcontinent and extends east to Java, where it is sometimes called the Javanese cormorant. It forages singly or sometimes in loose groups in lowland freshwater bodies, including small ponds, large lakes, streams and sometimes coastal estuaries.
Summary from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Range and habitat
Inland and coastal, from Indus Valley (central Pakistan) southward to Sri Lanka and eastward through sub-Himalayan India to southern China, Vietnam, and Java.
Range description: AviList Global Avian Checklist.
Sources and further reading
- Wikipedia: Little cormorant
- eBird: sightings, maps and photos
- xeno-canto: sound recordings
- Birds of the World: full species account (subscription)
- BirdLife DataZone: status and threats
- IUCN Red List (threat status)
- AviList global checklist (taxonomy)
Last updated September 29, 2026.
