Townsend's Cormorant
Urile penicillatus
Silhouette: Caleb M. Gordon · PhyloPic
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Chordates)
- ClassAves (Birds)
- OrderSuliformes (Gannets, Cormorants, and Allies)
- FamilyPhalacrocoracidae (Cormorants and Shags)
- GenusUrile (North Pacific Cormorants)
- SpeciesUrile penicillatus (Townsend's Cormorant)
About the Townsend's Cormorant
Brandt's cormorant (Urile penicillatus) is a strictly marine bird of the cormorant family of seabirds that inhabits the Pacific coast of North America. It ranges, in the summer, from Alaska to the Gulf of California, but the population north of Vancouver Island migrates south during the winter. Its specific name, penicillatus is Latin for a painter's brush (pencil of hairs), in reference to white plumes on its neck and back during the early breeding season. The common name honors the German naturalist Johann Friedrich von Brandt of the Academy of Sciences at St. Petersburg, who described the species from specimens collected on expeditions to the Pacific during the early 19th century.
It was formerly classified in the genus Phalacrocorax, but a 2014 study supported reclassifying it and several other Pacific cormorant species into the genus Urile. The IOU followed this classification in 2021. The average size of a Brandt's cormorant is 4.6 pounds. They have a length of about 34 inches and their wingspan is 4 feet. During the breeding season, adults have a blue throat patch.
Brandt's cormorants live on the Pacific coast of... Wikipedia →
Recent sightings of Townsend's Cormorant in Channel Islands National Park
LIVEiNaturalistClosest Relatives at Channel Islands National Park
Global Distribution
Warmer areas are where this animal is recorded most often.
Parks Where Found
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bahía de Loreto National Park | 🇲🇽 Mexico | |
| 2 | Cabo Pulmo National Park | 🇲🇽 Mexico | |
| 3 | El Vizcaíno Biosphere Reserve | 🇲🇽 Mexico |
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a Townsend's Cormorant in Channel Islands National Park?
About 30% of wildlife watchers report a Townsend's Cormorant sighting in Channel Islands National Park, based on 5,846 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Townsend's Cormorant in Channel Islands National Park?
August has the highest sighting rate for Townsend's Cormorant in Channel Islands National Park in our monthly data.