Pygmy Cormorant
Microcarbo pygmaeus
LCLeast Concern
- Family
- Cormorants and Shags (Phalacrocoracidae)
- Order
- Suliformes
Overview
The pygmy cormorant (Microcarbo pygmaeus) is a member of the Phalacrocoracidae (cormorant) family of seabirds. It breeds in south-eastern Europe and south-western Asia. It is partially migratory, with northern populations wintering further south, mostly within its breeding range. It is a rare vagrant to western Europe.
Summary from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where to see it
Destination guides featuring this bird
Range and habitat
Inland lakes and rivers of southeastern Europe to central Asia.
Range description: AviList Global Avian Checklist.
Countries
- Afghanistan
- Albania
- Algeria
- Armenia
- Austria
- Azerbaijan
- Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Bulgaria
- Croatia
- Denmark
- Georgia
- Germany
- Greece
- Hungary
- Iran
- Iraq
- Israel
- Italy
- Jordan
- Kazakhstan
- Kosovo
- Kyrgyzstan
- Lebanon
- Moldova
- Montenegro
- North Macedonia
- Palestine
- Poland
- Romania
- Russia
- Serbia
- Slovakia
- Slovenia
- Spain
- Sweden
- Syria
- Tajikistan
- Turkey
- Turkmenistan
- Ukraine
- Uzbekistan
Sources and further reading
- Wikipedia: Pygmy 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.
