Bird watching in Africa - Long-tailed Cormorant, also called Reed Cormorant, Microcarbo africanus

Length: 60 cm
Wingspan: 80 - 90 cm
Weight: 680 à 685 g
Longevity:
Distinctive Feature •
Similar Species • From opus at www.birdforum.net the forum for wild birds and birding.
Female / Male • Sexes are similar, but non-breeding adults and juveniles are browner. From opus at www.birdforum.net the forum for wild birds and birding.

The Long-tailed Cormorant, also called Reed Cormorant (Microcarbo africanus), also known as the Long-tailed Cormorant, is a bird in the cormorant family Phalacrocoracidae. It breeds in much of Africa south of the Sahara, and Madagascar. It is resident but undertakes some seasonal movements.

Habitat
This is a common and widespread species, and is not considered to be threatened. It breeds on freshwater wetlands or quiet coasts.

Range map from www.oiseaux.net - Ornithological Portal Oiseaux.net

www.oiseaux.net is one of those MUST visit pages if you're in to bird watching. You can find just about everything there

Description
This is a small cormorant at 50–55 cm length and an 85 cm wingspan. It is mainly black, glossed green, in the breeding season. The wing coverts are silvery. It has a longish tail, a short head crest and a red or yellow face patch. The bill is yellow.

Sexes are similar, but non-breeding adults and juveniles are browner, with a white belly. Some southern races retain the crest all year round.

Length: 60 cm

Wingspan: 80 - 90 cm

Weight: 680 à 685 g

Longevity:

Distinctive Feature

•

Similar Species

•

From opus at www.birdforum.net the forum for wild birds and birding.

Female / Male

• Sexes are similar, but non-breeding adults and juveniles are browner.

From opus at www.birdforum.net the forum for wild birds and birding.

Listen to the Long-tailed Cormorant

Sound from www.xeno-canto.org

Remarks from the Recordist

Syn. Long-tailed Cormorant. Several birds calling in the colony (probably only adults, most of which are nest-building.

Behaviour
The reed cormorant can dive to considerable depths, but usually feeds in shallow water. It frequently brings prey to the surface. It takes a wide variety of fish. It prefers small slow-moving fish, and those with long and tapering shapes, such as mormyrids, catfishes, and cichlids.

It will less frequently eat soles (which can be important in its diet locally), frogs, aquatic invertebrates, and small birds.

Two to four eggs are laid in a nest in a tree or on the ground, normally hidden from view by long grass.

By Roger Culos - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0,
https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=77126679

Conservation status

Least Concern (IUCN 3.1)

IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN. 2004. Retrieved 12 May 2006.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia