Flightless Cormorant vs Great Cormorant/European Shag

Phalacrocorax harrisi compared with Phalacrocorax carbo

Key Differences

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

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Flightless Cormorant	Great Cormorant/European Shag
Kingdom same	Animalia (hayvan)	Animalia (hayvan)
Phylum same	Chordata (Kordalılar)	Chordata (Kordalılar)
Class same	Aves (kuş)	Aves (kuş)
Order same	Suliformes (Suliformes)	Suliformes (Suliformes)
Family same	Phalacrocoracidae	Phalacrocoracidae
Genus same	Phalacrocorax	Phalacrocorax
Species	Phalacrocorax harrisi	Phalacrocorax carbo

Evolutionary Relationship

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

Conservation Status

Flightless Cormorant

VU — Vulnerable

Great Cormorant/European Shag

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

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

Habitat & Geographic Range

Flightless Cormorant

Habitat

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

Range

Distributed across Ecuador and Norway. 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 1 countries:

🇳🇴 Norway