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Alice Springs Waste Stabilisation Ponds

The Little Black Cormorant (Phalacrocorax sulcirostris) is a slender black cormorant, with a long tail, thin bill and dark facila skin. During the breeding season, they often have a glossy patterned appearance. Measuring up to 65 cm long, with a wingspan of up to 105 cm.

Little Black Cormorant (Phalacrocorax sulcirostris), Alice Springs Sewage Ponds © Dorothy Latimer
Little Black Cormorant (Phalacrocorax sulcirostris), Alice Springs Sewage Ponds © Dorothy Latimer

They are strong fliers and will feed by pursuit-diving, spying underwater prey from the air, which they bring to the surface, before swallowing. Their habitat are wetlands and sheltered coastal waters, especially lakes, reservoirs, rivers, bays and inlets.

Little Black Cormorant (Phalacrocorax sulcirostris), Alice Springs Sewage Ponds © Dorothy Latimer
Little Black Cormorant (Phalacrocorax sulcirostris), Alice Springs Sewage Ponds © Dorothy Latimer
Little Black Cormorant (Phalacrocorax sulcirostris), Alice Springs Sewage Ponds © Dorothy Latimer
Little Black Cormorant (Phalacrocorax sulcirostris), Alice Springs Sewage Ponds © Dorothy Latimer

The photographs presented here were taken in the month of March and November.

More info in section Owen Springs Reserve > Fauna | Birds | Little Black Cormorant


  • Scientific classification
  • Kingdom: Animalia
  • Phylum: Chordata
  • Subphylum: Vertebrata
  • Informal: Gnathostomata
  • Class: Aves
  • Order: Pelecaniformes
  • Suborder: Sulae
  • Family: Phalacrocoracidae
  • Genus: Phalacrocorax
  • Subgenus: infrageneric Phalacrocorax
  • Species: Phalacrocorax sulcirostris

Footnote & References

  1. Phalacrocorax (Phalacrocorax) sulcirostris (Brandt, 1837), Little Black Cormorant, Atlas of Living Australia, https://bie.ala.org.au/species/https://biodiversity.org.au/afd/taxa/c96b19fd-2a54-4361-a5cf-baecf741310e

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