Order
Suliformes
Family
Phalacrocoracidae
Genus
Phalacrocorax
 
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Version 1.0

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 - Imperial Cormorant
 - Imperial Cormorant
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Imperial Cormorant Phalacrocorax atriceps

Agustina Gómez Laich
Version: 1.0 — Published April 6, 2012

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Introduction

The material in the following pages was contributed by Agustina Gómez Laich and is based on the work of a Seabird Ecology Research Group that has its headquarters in the Centro Nacional Patagónico (CONICET), Argentina.

The Imperial Cormorant, or Shag, is a marine species of cold southern South American waters. This species can be recognized by its blackish upperparts and white underparts, as well as blue irides and yellow caruncles in front of the eyes. Often viewed swimming along coastal waterways and flying in flocks (sometimes with other species of cormorant), this species breeds in small colonies on coastal areas and low islands. The Imperial Cormorant is part of a large complex of marine shags of the Southern Ocean; species-level relationships in the group are still being resolved.

Distribution of the Imperial Cormorant - Range Map
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  • Year-round
  • Migration
  • Breeding
  • Non-Breeding
Distribution of the Imperial Cormorant

Recommended Citation

Gómez Laich, A. (2012). Imperial Cormorant (Phalacrocorax atriceps), version 1.0. In Neotropical Birds Online (T. S. Schulenberg, Editor). Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, NY, USA. https://doi.org/10.2173/nb.impcor1.01