Double-crested Cormorant

Double-crested Cormorant

Phalacrocorax auritus

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
at Saguaro National Park
1,007 Verified sightings at Saguaro National Park From 2019 to 2026
59,730 Verified sightings across all 48 parks From 2019 to 2026
November Best month highest sighting rate
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted during daytime hours (6am–6pm)

About the Double-crested Cormorant

The double-crested cormorant (Nannopterum auritum) is a member of the cormorant family of water birds. It is found near rivers and lakes and in coastal areas and is widely distributed across North America, from the Aleutian Islands in Alaska down to Florida and Mexico. Measuring 70–90 cm (28–35 in) in length, it is entirely black except for a bare patch of orange-yellow facial skin and some extra plumage that it exhibits in the breeding season when it grows a double crest in which black feathers are mingled with white. Five subspecies are recognized. It mainly eats fish and hunts by swimming and diving. Its feathers, like all cormorants, are not waterproof, and it must dry them out after spending time in the water. Once threatened by the use of DDT, the numbers of this bird have increased markedly in recent years.

The double-crested cormorant was described by René Primevère Lesson in 1831. It was formerly classified in the genus Phalacrocorax, but a 2014 study supported reclassifying it and several other American cormorant species into the genus Nannopterum. The IOC followed this classification in 2021.

Its scientific genus name is derived from the Greek words νᾶνος... Wikipedia →

Closest Relatives at Saguaro National Park

Bigua cormorant

Bigua cormorant

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Phalacrocorax brasilianus

Daily sighting probability ~20% · Possible

Global Distribution

Where this species is recorded worldwide. Restricted to human observations from 2019 onwards — the same kind of record and the same period the probabilities on this page are built from, so collar-tracking studies, camera-trap arrays and museum specimens are excluded. Around Santa Rosa that removes 5,924 GPS fixes from a handful of tagged jaguars.

where this species is recorded (GBIF density — it tracks where observers go, not how likely a sighting is)  ·  parks where it occurs — tap a pin for the sighting probability there

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Ría Lagartos Biosphere Reserve 🇲🇽 Mexico
~70%
2 Point Pelee National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
~70%
3 Celestún Biosphere Reserve 🇲🇽 Mexico
~70%
4 El Vizcaíno Biosphere Reserve 🇲🇽 Mexico
~60%
5 Bahía de Loreto National Park 🇲🇽 Mexico
~60%
6 Big Cypress National Preserve 🇺🇸 United States
~60%
7 Cape Breton Highlands National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
~60%
8 Kenai Fjords National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~50%
9 Channel Islands National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~50%
10 Everglades National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~50%
11 Acadia National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~50%
12 Gros Morne National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
~40%
13 Redwood National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~30%
14 Ciénaga de Zapata 🇨🇺 Cuba
~20%
15 Elk Island National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
~20%
16 Voyageurs National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~20%
17 Riding Mountain National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
~20%
18 Isle Royale National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~20%
19 Grand Teton National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~20%
20 Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve 🇲🇽 Mexico
~20%
21 Olympic National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
22 Pacific Rim National Park Reserve 🇨🇦 Canada
~10%
23 Joshua Tree National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
24 Katmai National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
25 Great Bear Rainforest 🇨🇦 Canada
~10%
26 Great Smoky Mountains National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
27 Yellowstone National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
28 Rocky Mountain National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
29 Cabo Pulmo National Park 🇲🇽 Mexico
~10%
30 Congaree National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
31 Shenandoah National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
32 Wrangell-St. Elias National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
33 Death Valley National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
34 Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
35 Arrecifes de Cozumel National Park 🇲🇽 Mexico
<5%
36 Saguaro National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
37 Badlands National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
38 Glacier National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
39 Zion National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
40 Banff National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
<5%
41 Grand Canyon National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
42 Yosemite National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
43 Big Bend National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
44 Reserva de la Biosfera Mariposa Monarca 🇲🇽 Mexico
Insufficient data
45 Jaragua National Park 🇩🇴 Dominican Republic
Insufficient data
46 Calakmul Biosphere Reserve 🇲🇽 Mexico
Insufficient data
47 Los Haitises National Park 🇩🇴 Dominican Republic
Insufficient data
48 Jasper National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
Insufficient data

Quick answers

What are the chances of seeing a Double-crested Cormorant in Saguaro National Park?

Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Double-crested Cormorant sighting in Saguaro National Park, based on 1,007 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.

When is the best time to see Double-crested Cormorant in Saguaro National Park?

November has the highest sighting rate for Double-crested Cormorant in Saguaro National Park in our monthly data.

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