Great Cormorant/European Shag vs Red-legged Cormorant

Phalacrocorax carbo compared with Phalacrocorax gaimardi

Key Differences

• Great Cormorant/European Shag is Least Concern while Red-legged Cormorant is Not Evaluated.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Great Cormorant/European Shag	Red-legged Cormorant
Kingdom same	Animalia (प्राणी)	Animalia (प्राणी)
Phylum same	Chordata (रज्जुकी)	Chordata (रज्जुकी)
Class same	Aves (पक्षी)	Aves (पक्षी)
Order same	Suliformes (Suliformes)	Suliformes (Suliformes)
Family same	Phalacrocoracidae	Phalacrocoracidae
Genus same	Phalacrocorax	Phalacrocorax
Species	Phalacrocorax carbo	Phalacrocorax gaimardi

Evolutionary Relationship

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

Conservation Status

Great Cormorant/European Shag

LC — Least Concern

Red-legged Cormorant

NE — Not Evaluated

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Great Cormorant/European Shag	Red-legged 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).

Red-legged 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