Red-faced Cormorant

Phalacrocorax urileOrder: PELECANIFORMES Family: Cormorants (Phalacrocoracidae)

Codes: Common Name: RFCO Scientific Name: PHAURI ITIS Taxonomic No.: 174728

Breeding Location:

Seashore, rocky or sandy, Islands, sandy or rocky

Breeding Type:

Monogamous, Small colonies

Breeding Population:

Common in restricted range

Egg Color:

Pale blue, often nest stained

Number of Eggs:

3 - 4

Incubation Days:

31 - 38

Egg Incubator:

Both sexes

Nest Material:

Seaweed, grass lined with feathers, ocean debris

Migration:

Nonmigratory

General

Red-faced Cormorant: Dark brown to black with variable green and violet iridescence. Bright red face patch, dull bill. Breeding adults develop white patches on flanks and white neck feathers or "plumes." Juvenile is dark brown, with a pale yellow-gray bill.

Range and Habitat

Red-faced Cormorant: Range in North America restricted to coastal Alaska. Prefers rocky coasts for both feeding and breeding habitat.

Breeding and Nesting

Red-faced Cormorant: Monogamous nester of coastal Alaska and northeast Asia. Small flocks or colonies nest on steep and rocky mainland cliffs or islands. Female and male build nest of seaweed, grass, and ocean debris on rocky ledge. Female lays three or four pale blue eggs. Both sexes incubate for 31 to 38 days, and rear altricial young. Fledging occurs at 40 to 50 days, with young birds often returning to nest over the first few weeks after fledging to be cared for by adults.

Foraging and Feeding

Red-faced Cormorant: Dives from surface of water to pursue fish often near rocky shores. Seen feeding in mixed flocks alongside Pelagic Cormorant. Has been observed feeding in deeper waters, up to 12 miles from shore.

Vocalization

Red-faced Cormorant: A collections of hisses, croaks and groans.

Similar Species

Red-faced Cormorant: Pelagic cormorant averages slightly smaller and slimmer with thinner, darker bill. In all plumages, adult Red-faced show extensive bright red patch surrounding the eye and extending to forehead. Pelagic show much reduced red face patch often indiscernible at distance. Both Brandt's Cormorant and Double-crested Cormorant are larger and lack any red on face.

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Bird Call Credits: The Macaulay Library of Natural Sounds at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Martyn Stewart, http://www.naturesound.org, Redmond, Washington USA. The reuse or copying of bird calls in this database is strictly forbidden.

Red-faced Cormorant

Red-faced Cormorant: Dark brown to black with variable green and violet iridecsence. Bright red face patch, dull bill. Black legs, feet. Breeding adults develop white patches on flanks and white neck feathers or "plumes." Strong powerful direct flight. Flies in straight line formation.

● Song: "berr awkkkkk"

● Foraging & Feeding: Red-faced Cormorant: Dives from surface of water to pursue fish often near rocky shores. Seen feeding in mixed flocks alongside Pelagic Cormorant. Has been observed feeding in deeper waters, up to 12 miles from shore.

● Breeding & nesting: Red-faced Cormorant: Monogamous nester of coastal Alaska and northeast Asia. Small flocks or colonies nest on steep and rocky mainland cliffs or islands. Female and male build nest of seaweed, grass, and ocean debris on rocky ledge. Female lays three or four pale blue eggs. Both sexes incubate for 31 to 38 days, and rear altricial young. Fledging occurs at 40 to 50 days, with young birds often returning to nest over the first few weeks after fledging to be cared for by adults.

● Similar species: Red-faced Cormorant: Pelagic cormorant averages slightly smaller and slimmer with thinner, darker bill. In all plumages, adult Red-faced show extensive bright red patch surrounding the eye and extending to forehead. Pelagic show much reduced red face patch often indiscernible at distance. Both Brandt's Cormorant and Double-crested Cormorant are larger and lack any red on face.

Flight Pattern

Direct flight with rapid wing beats, Graceful

Red-faced Cormorant Breeding Male Body Illustration

● Range & Habitat: Red-faced Cormorant: Range in North America restricted to coastal Alaska. Prefers rocky coasts for both feeding and breeding habitat.

^BreedingMonogamous, Small colonies

^PopulationCommon in restricted range

^MigrationNonmigratory

^Weight89.6 Ounces

Face

The front part of the head consisting of the bill, eyes, cheeks and chin.

Plumes

Large, conspicuous, showy feathers.

Pelagic

The pelagic is a type of bird whose habitat is on the open ocean rather than in a coastal region or on inland bodies of water (lakes, rivers). An example of a pelagic bird is the blacklegged kittiwake.

4 and 6 letter alpha codes

The four letter common name alpha code is is derived from the first two letters of the common first name and the first two letters of common last name. The six letter species name alpha code is derived from the first three letters of the scientific name (genus) and the first three letters of the scientific name (species). See (1) below for the rules used to create the codes..

Four-letter (for English common names) and six-letter (for scientific names) species alpha codes were developed by Pyle and DeSante (2003, North American Bird-Bander 28:64-79) to reflect A.O.U. taxonomy and nomenclature (A.O.U. 1998) as modified by Supplements 42 (Auk 117:847-858, 2000) and 43 (Auk 119:897-906, 2002). The list has been updated by Pyle and DeSante to reflect changes reported by the A.O.U from 2003 through 2006.

Field Guide to Birds of North America