European Shag vs Great Cormorant/European Shag

Phalacrocorax aristotelis compared with Phalacrocorax carbo

Key Differences

• European Shag is Vulnerable while Great Cormorant/European Shag is Least Concern.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	European Shag	Great Cormorant/European Shag
Kingdom same	Animalia (hewan)	Animalia (hewan)
Phylum same	Chordata (Chordates)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class same	Aves (burung)	Aves (burung)
Order same	Suliformes (Suliformes)	Suliformes (Suliformes)
Family same	Phalacrocoracidae	Phalacrocoracidae
Genus same	Phalacrocorax	Phalacrocorax
Species	Phalacrocorax aristotelis	Phalacrocorax carbo

Evolutionary Relationship

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

Conservation Status

European Shag

VU — Vulnerable

Great Cormorant/European Shag

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

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

Habitat & Geographic Range

European Shag

Habitat

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

Range

Distributed across Norway, Sweden, and Ukraine. Currently classified as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its 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).

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 2 countries:

🇳🇴 Norway 🇸🇪 Sweden