Great Cormorant ( Phalacrocorax carbo )
Great Cormorant - Great Cormorant information - Great Cormorant facts
Phalacrocorax carbo is the most common species. Its distribution in Europe ranges from Scandinavia and the British Isles south to the Mediterranean Sea, then it also can be found in the north-western coasts of Africa and in eastern and South Africa. It is also spread in Asia and in Australia. It lives generally close to the coast, although some species inhabit some inland areas as well.
The great cormorant is approximately 94 cm (37 inches) long. Their body has got an aerodynamic shape. They have got a small head with white throat, blue skin around small eyes. The bill is yellow at the base and darker at the tip. The Body is greenish and wings are brown colored. The offspring tend to have more brownish plumage in comparison to the adults. Sexes look similar.
Cormorants live in nests that are usually made of seaweed and other sea vegetation. They feed on fish they catch in sea or lakes. They are very fast when they are trying to catch their prey, also under the water. Phalacrocorax carbo lays up to four eggs, which are white. Their life-expectancy does not exceed twenty years.
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