Reed Cormorant
Microcarbo africanus
Inland and coastal waters.Brown-speckled wings.
Cormorants
LC
Not Endemic
Description
Common resident. Adults have all-black bodies (male with small crest on forehead), grey-brown speckled wings, yellow to reddish facial skin and ruby-red eyes. The bill is yellow. The brownish immature has off-white (never pure white) underparts. Upper breast is more buffy (cf. [White-breasted Cormorant] ). Female illustrated is a sub-adult, at which stage it is able to breed. Occurs singly or in groups on any inland water. Occasionally seen at the coast; cf. [Bank Cormorant].
Quick Facts
Size
60 cm - L
Names
A: Rietduiker
Z: iPhishamanzi
Ss: Ntodi Ya Lehlaka
G: Riedscharbe
Bird Family
Waterbirds with webbed feet, long necks and hooked bills. They hunt for fish and frogs under water, surfacing to swallow prey. Their bodies are partially submerged when they swim, and they habitually stand out of the water with wings outspread. They are mostly silent, except for raucous squabbling at breeding colonies.
Distribution
Gallery
Behaviour
Breeding
Habitat
