The Four Keys to ID
- Size & Shape
A heavyset seabird with a long, thick neck, blocky head, and heavy hooked bill. The legs are short, the tail fairly long, and the wings broad.
Relative Size
Larger than a Double-crested Cormorant, smaller than a Brown Pelican.
between crow and gooseMeasurements
- Both Sexes
- Length: 33.1-35.4 in (84-90 cm)
- Weight: 91.7-130.5 oz (2600-3700 g)
- Wingspan: 51.2-63.0 in (130-160 cm)
© Evan Lipton / Macaulay Library
- Color Pattern
Adults are blackish overall with white throat and yellowish skin around the bill. When breeding, adults have a square patch of white on the thigh and white neck feathers. Juveniles are brownish with a whitish throat and belly, with some brownish streaking at the edges.
© Keenan Yakola / Macaulay Library - Behavior
Forages by diving from the water’s surface for bottom-dwelling fish. Spends much of the day out of the water, resting, digesting, and drying its wings. Nesting pairs are very vocal. Flies strongly, with deep, goose-like wingbeats.
- Habitat
Rocky ocean coastlines, including jetties and breakwaters; rare to uncommon in coastal-plain rivers and lakes. In North America, seldom seen far from the Atlantic Ocean.
© Alix d'Entremont / Macaulay Library
Regional Differences
One subspecies in North America (carbo). At least 6 other subspecies worldwide, in Eurasia, Africa, and Australia, are smaller and differ in breeding plumage adornments, underparts pattern, and back sheen color.
