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 El Vizcaíno Biosphere Reserve
LIVEiNaturalistClosest Relatives at El Vizcaíno Biosphere Reserve
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 El Vizcaíno Biosphere Reserve?
About 20% of wildlife watchers report a Townsend's Cormorant sighting in El Vizcaíno Biosphere Reserve, based on 218 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Townsend's Cormorant in El Vizcaíno Biosphere Reserve?
February has the highest sighting rate for Townsend's Cormorant in El Vizcaíno Biosphere Reserve in our monthly data.