Cormorants- ORDER: Suliformes
- FAMILY: Phalacrocoracidae
Basic Description
The trim, glossy-black Red-faced Cormorant has a vivid cherry-red face and yellowish bill during the breeding season, along with a bold square of white feathers on its flanks. It inhabits some of the most remote places in Alaska and eastern Asia, where it overlaps with the very similar (but slightly smaller) Pelagic Cormorant. Red-faced Cormorants are hardy and rather shy, building nests on steep cliff faces overlooking the North Pacific. They are less gregarious than other cormorant species and often nest in single pairs rather than in colonies.
More ID InfoFind This Bird
Red-faced Cormorants remain close to shore year-round—so the biggest challenge to finding them is reaching their remote habitat. One of the best places to find them is on the Pribilof Islands, Alaska, where pairs typically nest in accessible parts of St. Paul Island.
Other Names
- Cormorán Carirrojo (Spanish)
- Cormoran à face rouge (French)