Great Cormorant/European Shag vs Pelagic Cormorant

Phalacrocorax carbo compared with Phalacrocorax pelagicus

Key Differences

• Great Cormorant/European Shag is Least Concern while Pelagic Cormorant is Not Evaluated.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Great Cormorant/European Shag	Pelagic Cormorant
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum same	Chordata (Chordates)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class same	Aves (Birds)	Aves (Birds)
Order same	Suliformes (Suliformes)	Suliformes (Suliformes)
Family same	Phalacrocoracidae	Phalacrocoracidae
Genus same	Phalacrocorax	Phalacrocorax
Species	Phalacrocorax carbo	Phalacrocorax pelagicus

Evolutionary Relationship

Great Cormorant/European Shag and Pelagic Cormorant share a common ancestor at the Genus level: Phalacrocorax.

Conservation Status

Great Cormorant/European Shag

LC — Least Concern

Pelagic Cormorant

NE — Not Evaluated

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Great Cormorant/European Shag	Pelagic Cormorant
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Great Cormorant/European Shag

Habitat

Typically found in various aerial, terrestrial, and aquatic environments.

Range

Widely distributed across Asia (Israel), Europe (7 countries), and North America (United States).

Pelagic Cormorant

Habitat

Typically found in various aerial, terrestrial, and aquatic environments.

Range

Found in Norway.

Great Cormorant/European Shag

Great Cormorant/European Shag (Phalacrocorax carbo) is classified as Least Concern (LC) on the IUCN Red List. Widespread and abundant across its range, with stable populations and no immediate conservation concerns.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 1 countries:

🇳🇴 Norway