Pygmy cormorant Microcarbo pygmaeus

Features

It is the smallest European cormorant, the size of a duck, reaching between 45 and 55 cm in length, and the wingspans of adult birds measure from 75 to 90 cm.

Species	Bird
Living space	Lake
Size	45 - 55 cm
Weight	565 - 870 g

Description

It has a proportional, very long tail, while the neck and the beak are short and square. Its feathers are black, with dark green or brownish shine (depending on the angle of view). During the breeding season, adult birds are dark throughout the body, with tiny white tufts on the head, neck and underparts; the rest of the year they have a well-visible patch of pale colour under the beak and slightly lighter chest. They nest in colonies along the lush lake shores and river deltas. They build their nests in dense undergrowth, preferably among the willows. They like to live in groups. They only make sounds in colonies producing throaty croaking calls, otherwise they are quiet.