Little Cormorant
Little CormorantLittle CormorantLittle CormorantLittle Cormorant

Little Cormorant

Microcarbo niger

Silhouette: L. Shyamal · PhyloPic

Least ConcernNear ThreatenedVulnerableEndangeredCritically Endangered
Daily sighting probability Insufficient data
at Horton Plains National Park
4 Verified sightings at Horton Plains National Park From 2019 to 2026
19,396 Verified sightings across all 31 parks From 2019 to 2026
🌅 Crepuscular When it's spotted at dawn and dusk

About the Little Cormorant

The little cormorant (Microcarbo niger) is a member of the cormorant family of seabirds. Slightly smaller than the Indian cormorant it lacks a peaked head and has a shorter beak. It is widely distributed across the Indian subcontinent and extends east to Java, where it is sometimes called the Javanese cormorant. It forages singly or sometimes in loose groups in lowland freshwater bodies, including small ponds, large lakes, streams and sometimes coastal estuaries. Like other cormorants, it is often found perched on a waterside rock with its wings spread out after coming out of the water. The entire body is black in the breeding season but the plumage is brownish, and the throat has a small whitish patch in the non-breeding season. These birds breed gregariously in trees, often joining other waterbirds at heronries.

The little cormorant is about 50 centimetres (20 in) long and only slightly smaller than the Indian cormorant (Phalacrocorax fuscicollis). The Indian cormorant has a narrower and longer bill which ends in a prominent hook tip, blue iris and a more pointed head profile. The breeding adult bird has a glistening all black plumage with some white spots and filoplumes... Wikipedia →

Global Distribution

Warmer areas are where this animal is recorded most often.

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Keoladeo National Park 🇮🇳 India
~80%
2 Wilpattu National Park 🇱🇰 Sri Lanka
~60%
3 Ranthambore National Park 🇮🇳 India
~60%
4 Chitwan National Park 🇳🇵 Nepal
~60%
5 Bandipur National Park 🇮🇳 India
~60%
6 Yala National Park 🇱🇰 Sri Lanka
~60%
7 Kaziranga National Park 🇮🇳 India
~50%
8 Kanha National Park 🇮🇳 India
~50%
9 Sundarbans National Park 🇮🇳 India
~40%
10 Nagarhole National Park 🇮🇳 India
~40%
11 Royal Bardia National Park 🇳🇵 Nepal
~40%
12 Periyar National Park 🇮🇳 India
~40%
13 Minneriya National Park 🇱🇰 Sri Lanka
~40%
14 Satpura National Park 🇮🇳 India
~40%
15 Khao Yai National Park 🇹🇭 Thailand
~40%
16 Bandhavgarh National Park 🇮🇳 India
~30%
17 Khao Sok National Park 🇹🇭 Thailand
~30%
18 Gir National Park 🇮🇳 India
~30%
19 Mudumalai National Park 🇮🇳 India
~20%
20 Kaeng Krachan National Park 🇹🇭 Thailand
~20%
21 Manas National Park 🇮🇳 India
~20%
22 Jim Corbett National Park 🇮🇳 India
~10%
23 Khao Luang National Park 🇹🇭 Thailand
<5%
24 Cat Tien National Park 🇻🇳 Vietnam
<5%
25 Sinharaja Forest Reserve 🇱🇰 Sri Lanka
<5%
26 Way Kambas National Park 🇮🇩 Indonesia
<5%
27 Royal Manas National Park 🇧🇹 Bhutan
<5%
28 Namdapha National Park 🇮🇳 India
<5%
29 Gunung Leuser National Park 🇮🇩 Indonesia
Insufficient data
30 Eravikulam National Park 🇮🇳 India
Insufficient data
31 Horton Plains National Park 🇱🇰 Sri Lanka
Insufficient data
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