Cormorants and shags Fossil range: Late Cretaceous - Recent
Little Pied Cormorant Phalacrocorax melanoleucos
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Aves Subclass: Neornithes Infraclass: Neoaves Order: Pelecaniformes Suborder: Sulae Family: Phalacrocoracidae Reichenbach, 1850 Genus: Phalacrocorax (but see text) Brisson, 1760
Species
1-8, see text
Synonyms
Australocorax Lambrecht, 1931 Compsohalieus B. Late Cretaceous (100mya - 65mya refers to the second half of the Cretaceous Period, named after the famous white Chalk cliffs of southern England The Little Pied Cormorant, Little Shag or Kawaupaka ( Phalacrocorax melanoleucos) is a common Australasian waterbird found around the coasts Chordates ( Phylum Chordata) are a group of Animals that includes the Vertebrates together with several closely related Invertebrates Birds ( class Aves) are bipedal endothermic ( Warm-blooded) Vertebrate animals that lay eggs. Modern birds (subclass Neornithes) are the members of class Aves that have survived into recent times and have coexisted with Humans Modern birds are Neognaths ( Neognathae) are Birds within the Subclass Neornithes of the class Aves. The Pelecaniformes are an order of medium-sized and large waterbirds found worldwide Heinrich Gottlieb Ludwig Reichenbach ( January 8, 1793 - March 17, 1879) was a German Botanist and Ornithologist For the game see 1850 (board game. 1850 ( MDCCCL) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link Mathurin Jacques Brisson ( 30 April 1723 &ndash 23 June 1806) was a French Zoologist and natural philosopher Year 1760 ( MDCCLX) was a Leap year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Leap In Biology, a species is one of the basic units of Biological classification and a Taxonomic rank. In Scientific nomenclature, synonyms are different Scientific names used for a single Taxon. Year 1931 ( MCMXXXI) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display full 1931 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Brewer & Ridgway, 1884 Cormoranus Baillon, 1834 Dilophalieus Coues, 1903 Ecmeles Gistel, 1848 Euleucocarbo Voisin, 1973 Halietor Heine, 1860 Hydrocorax Vieillot, 1819 (non Brisson, 1760: preoccupied) Hypoleucus Reichenbach, 1852 Leucocarbo Bonaparte, 1857 Microcarbo Bonaparte, 1856 Miocorax Lambrecht, 1933 Nannopterum Sharpe, 1899 Nesocarbo Voisin, 1973 Notocarbo Siegel-Causey, 1988 Pallasicarbo Coues, 1903 Paracorax Lambrecht, 1933 Poikilocarbo Boetticher, 1935 Pliocarbo Tugarinov, 1940 Stictocarbo Bonaparte, 1855 Viguacarbo Coues, 1903 (but see text)

The bird family Phalacrocoracidae is represented by some 40 species of cormorants and shags. This article is about the American ornithologist For the Virginia congressman lawyer and editor see Robert Ridgway (congressman. Year 1884 ( MDCCCLXXXIV) was a Leap year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Leap year Louis Antoine François Baillon ( January 20, 1778 - December 3, 1851) was a French naturalist and collector Year 1834 ( MDCCCXXXIV) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Common Elliott Coues ( September 9, 1842 &ndash December 25, 1899) was an American army surgeon, Historian, Ornithologist Year 1903 ( MCMIII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display calendar of the Gregorian calendar or a Common year starting Year 1848 ( MDCCCXLVIII) was a Leap year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Leap Year 1973 ( MCMLXXIII) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display full calendar of the 1973 Gregorian calendar. Year 1860 ( MDCCLX) was a Leap year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Leap year starting Louis Jean Pierre Vieillot ( May 10, 1748 - 1831 was a French Ornithologist. Year 1819 ( MDCCCXIX) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar in the Gregorian Calendar (or a Common year Buceros is a Genus of large Asian hornbills (family Bucerotidae) Heinrich Gottlieb Ludwig Reichenbach ( January 8, 1793 - March 17, 1879) was a German Botanist and Ornithologist Year 1852 ( MDCCCLII) was a Leap year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Leap year Charles Lucien (Carlo Jules Laurent Bonaparte 2nd Prince of Canino and Musignano ( May 24, 1803 &ndash July 29, 1857) was a French Click here for Indian Rebellion of 1857 Year 1857 ( MDCCCLVII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display the Year 1856 ( MDCCCLVI) was a Leap year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Leap year Year 1933 ( MCMXXXIII) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Richard Bowdler Sharpe ( 22 November 1847 - 25 December 1909) was an English Zoologist. Year 1899 ( MDCCCXCIX) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Year 1988 ( MCMLXXXVIII) was a Leap year starting on Friday (link displays 1988 Gregorian calendar) Hans von Boetticher ( August 30, 1886 - January 20, 1958) was a German Zoologist who worked on Ornithology and Year 1935 ( MCMXXXV) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Year 1940 ( MCMXL) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display the full 1940 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Year 1855 ( MDCCCLV) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Common year Birds ( class Aves) are bipedal endothermic ( Warm-blooded) Vertebrate animals that lay eggs. In Biological classification, family ( Latin In Biology, a species is one of the basic units of Biological classification and a Taxonomic rank. Several different classifications of the family have been proposed recently, and the number of genera is disputed. A genus (plural genera from Γένος Latin genus "descent family type gender" is a low-level Taxonomic

Contents 1 Names 2 Characteristics 3 Systematics 3.1 Species in HBW sequence 3.2 Species in phylogenetic sequence 3.3 Evolution and fossil record 4 Cormorant fishing 5 Cormorants in human culture 6 Footnotes 7 References 8 External links

Names

There is no consistent distinction between cormorants and shags. The names "cormorant" and "shag" were originally the common names of the two species of the family found in Great Britain, Phalacrocorax carbo (now referred to by ornithologists as the Great Cormorant) and P. See also Kingdom of Great Britain Great Britain (Breatainn Mhòr Prydain Fawr Breten Veur Graet Breetain is the larger of the two main islands The Great Cormorant ( Phalacrocorax carbo) known as the Great Black Cormorant across the Northern Hemisphere the Black Cormorant in Australia and the aristotelis (the Common Shag). The European Shag or Common Shag ( Phalacrocorax aristotelis) is a species of Cormorant. "Shag" refers to the bird's crest, which the British forms of the Great Cormorant lack. As other species were discovered by English-speaking sailors and explorers elsewhere in the world, some were called cormorants and some shags, depending on whether they had crests or not. English is a West Germanic language originating in England and is the First language for most people in the United Kingdom, the United States Sometimes the same species is called a cormorant in one part of the world and a shag in another, e. g. , the Great Cormorant is called the Black Shag in New Zealand (the birds found in Australasia have a crest that is absent in European members of the species). New Zealand is an Island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses (the North Island and the South Island Australasia is a Region of Oceania: New Zealand, Australia, Papua New Guinea, and neighbouring Islands in the Pacific Van Tets (1976) proposed to divide the family into two genera and attach the name "Cormorant" to one and "Shag" to the other, but this flies in the face of common usage and has not been widely adopted. Gerard Frederick van Tets (1929-1995 sometimes stated as Jerry van Tets, was an English ornithologist and paleontologist A genus (plural genera from Γένος Latin genus "descent family type gender" is a low-level Taxonomic

The scientific genus name is latinized Ancient Greek, from φαλακρός (phalakros, "bald") and κόραξ (korax, "raven"). A genus (plural genera from Γένος Latin genus "descent family type gender" is a low-level Taxonomic Latin ( lingua Latīna, laˈtiːna is an Italic language, historically spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. The Ancient Greek language is the historical stage in the development of the Hellenic language family spanning the Archaic (c This is often thought to refer to the creamy white patch on the cheeks of adult Great Cormorants, or the ornamental white head plumes prominent in Mediterranean birds of this species, but is certainly not a unifying characteristic of cormorants. The Great Cormorant ( Phalacrocorax carbo) known as the Great Black Cormorant across the Northern Hemisphere the Black Cormorant in Australia and the "Cormorant" is a contraction derived from Latin corvus marinus, "sea raven". In Traditional grammar, a contraction is the formation of a new Word from one or more individual words Indeed, "sea raven" or analogous terms were the usual terms for cormorants in Germanic languages until after the Middle Ages, and the erroneous belief that these birds were related to ravens lasted at least to the 16th century:

". The Germanic languages are a group of related languages that constitute a branch of the Indo-European (IE Language family. . . le bec semblable à celuy d'un cormaran, ou autre corbeau. "^[1]

Characteristics

Cormorants and shags are medium-to-large seabirds. Seabirds are Birds that have adapted to life within the marine environment They range in size from the Pygmy Cormorant (Phalacrocorax pygmaeus), at as little as 45 cm (18 in) and 340 g (12 oz), to the Flightless Cormorant (Phalacrocorax harrisi), at a maximum size 100 cm (40 in) and 5 kg (11 lb). The Pygmy Cormorant ( Phalacrocorax pygmaeus) is a member of the Cormorant family of Seabirds It breeds in southeastern Europe The Flightless Cormorant ( Phalacrocorax harrisi) also known as the Galapagos Cormorant, is a Cormorant native to the Galapagos Islands, The recently-extinct Spectacled Cormorant (Phalacrocorax perspicillatus) was rather larger, at an average size of 6. The Spectacled Cormorant or Pallas's Cormorant ( Phalacrocorax perspicillatus)is an extinct marine Bird of the Cormorant family 3 kg (14 lb). The majority, including nearly all Northern Hemisphere species, have mainly dark plumage, but some Southern Hemisphere species are black and white, and a few (e. Feathers are one of the epidermal growths that form the distinctive outer covering or Plumage, on Birds They are considered the most complex integumentary structures g. the Spotted Shag of New Zealand) are quite colourful. The Spotted Shag or Parekareka, Phalacrocorax punctatus, is a species of Cormorant endemic to New Zealand. New Zealand is an Island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses (the North Island and the South Island Many species have areas of coloured skin on the face (the lores and the gular skin) which can be bright blue, orange, red or yellow, typically becoming more brightly coloured in the breeding season. Gular skin is a term used in Ornithology for an area of featherless skin on birds that joins the lower mandible of the bill to the bird's neck The bill is long, thin, and sharply hooked. Their feet have webbing between all four toes, as in their relatives.

They are coastal rather than oceanic birds, and some have colonised inland waters - indeed, the original ancestor of cormorants seems to have been a fresh-water bird, judging from the habitat of the most ancient lineage. The Imperial Shag, Phalacrocorax atriceps, is a Cormorant native to many Islands of the Southern Hemisphere. Walthamstow Reservoirs are located in the London Borough of Waltham Forest at Walthamstow. They range around the world, except for the central Pacific islands. The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth 's Oceanic divisions

All are fish-eaters, dining on small eels, fish, and even water snakes. Fish are aquatic Vertebrate animals that are typically ectothermic (previously Cold-blooded) covered with scales, and equipped with two True eels ( Anguilliformes) are an order of Fish, which consists of four suborders 19 families 110 Genera and approximately 600 A snake is an elongate Reptile of the suborder Serpentes Like all reptiles snakes are covered in scales. They dive from the surface, though many species make a characteristic half-jump as they dive, presumably to give themselves a more streamlined entry into the water. Under water they propel themselves with their feet. Some cormorant species have been found, using depth gauges, to dive to depths of as much as 45 metres. A depth gauge is a Pressure gauge that displays the equivalent depth in water

After fishing, cormorants go ashore, and are frequently seen holding their wings out in the sun; it is assumed that this is to dry them. Unusually for a water bird, their feathers are not waterproofed. Feathers are one of the epidermal growths that form the distinctive outer covering or Plumage, on Birds They are considered the most complex integumentary structures This may help them dive quickly, since their feathers do not retain air bubbles.

Cormorants are colonial nesters, using trees, rocky islets, or cliffs. The eggs are a chalky-blue colour. In most Birds and Reptiles an egg ( Latin ovum) is the Zygote, resulting from Fertilization of the Ovum. There is usually one brood a year. The young are fed through regurgitation. Regurgitation is the controlled flow of Stomach contents back into the Esophagus and Mouth. They typically have deep, ungainly bills, showing a greater resemblance to those of the pelicans', to which they are related, than is obvious in the adults. A pelican is a large water Bird with a distinctive pouch under the beak belonging to the Bird family Pelecanidae.

Systematics

The cormorants are a group traditionally placed within the Pelecaniformes or, in the Sibley-Ahlquist taxonomy, the expanded Ciconiiformes. The Pelecaniformes are an order of medium-sized and large waterbirds found worldwide The Sibley-Ahlquist taxonomy is a radical bird Taxonomy proposed by Charles Sibley and Jon Edward Ahlquist. Traditionally the order Ciconiiformes has included a variety of large long-legged wading birds with large bills Storks Herons Egrets This latter group is certainly not a natural one, and even after the tropicbirds have been recognized as quite distinct, the remaining Pelecaniformes seem not to be entirely monophyletic. Tropicbirds are a family, Phaethontidae, of tropical pelagic Seabirds There are three species in one Genus Phaethon A clade is a taxonomic group comprising a single Common ancestor and all the descendants of that ancestor Their relationships and delimitation - apart from being part of a "higher waterfowl" clade which is similar but not identical to Sibley and Ahlquist's "pan-Ciconiiformes" - remain mostly unresolved. A clade is a taxonomic group comprising a single Common ancestor and all the descendants of that ancestor

Notwithstanding, all evidence agrees that the cormorants and shags are closer to the darters and Sulidae (gannets and boobies), and perhaps the pelicans and/or even penguins, than to all other living birds^[2]. The darters or snake-birds are birds in the family Anhingidae. The Bird family Sulidae comprises the Gannets and boobies. Both groups are medium-large coastal Seabirds that plunge-dive for fish A pelican is a large water Bird with a distinctive pouch under the beak belonging to the Bird family Pelecanidae. Penguins ( order Sphenisciformes, family Spheniscidae) are a group of aquatic, flightless Birds living almost In recent years, three preferred treatments have emerged: either to leave all living cormorants in a single genus, Phalacrocorax, or to split off a few species like the Imperial Shag complex (in Leucocarbo) and perhaps the Flightless Cormorant. The Imperial Shag, Phalacrocorax atriceps, is a Cormorant native to many Islands of the Southern Hemisphere. The Flightless Cormorant ( Phalacrocorax harrisi) also known as the Galapagos Cormorant, is a Cormorant native to the Galapagos Islands, Alternatively, the genus may be disassembled altogether and in the most extreme case be reduced to the Great, White-breasted and Temminck's Cormorants. The Great Cormorant ( Phalacrocorax carbo) known as the Great Black Cormorant across the Northern Hemisphere the Black Cormorant in Australia and the The White-breasted Cormorant, a member of the cormorant family Phalacrocoracidae, is usually treated as a Subspecies of Great Cormorant, in which case The Japanese Cormorant ( Phalacrocorax capillatus) also known as Temminck's Cormorant, is a Cormorant native to East Asia ^[3]

Pending a thorough review of the Recent and prehistoric cormorants, the single-genus approach^[4] is followed here for three reasons: First, it is preferable to tentatively assigning genera without a robust hypothesis. Second, it makes it easier to deal with the fossil forms, the systematic treatment of which has been no less controversial than that of living cormorants and shags. Third, this scheme is also used by the IUCN^[5], making it easier to incorporate data on status and conservation. In accordance with the treatment there, the Imperial Shag complex is here left unsplit too, but the King Shag complex is split up.

Several evolutionary groups are still recognizable. eVolution is the third Album by eLDee, it was due to be released in 2008 However, combining the available evidence suggests that there has also been a great deal of convergent evolution; for example the "cliff shags" are a convergent paraphyletic group. Convergent evolution describes the acquisition of the same biological trait in unrelated lineages In Phylogenetics, a group of organisms is said to be paraphyletic if the group contains its most recent common ancestor but does not contain all The proposed division into Phalacrocorax sensu stricto (or subfamily Phalacrocoracinae) "cormorants" and Leucocarbo sensu lato (or Leucocarboninae) "shags"^[6] does indeed have some degree of merit - though not as originally intended - but fails to account for basal lineages and the fact that the entire family cannot be clearly divided at present beyond the superspecies or species-complex level^[7]. In Biological classification, family ( Latin In Phylogenetics, a basal Clade is the earliest clade to branch in a larger clade it appears at the base of a cladogram In Biology, a cryptic species complex is a group of Species which satisfy the biological definition of species that is they are reproductively isolated from each The resolution provided by the mtDNA 12S rRNA and ATPase subunits 6 and 8 sequence data^[7] is not sufficient to properly resolve several groups to satisfaction; in addition, many species remain unsampled, the fossil record has not been integrated in the data, and the effects of hybridization - known in some Pacific species especially - on the DNA sequence data are unstudied. Mitochondrial DNA ( mtDNA) is the DNA located in Organelles called mitochondria. ATPases are a class of Enzymes that catalyze the Decomposition of Adenosine triphosphate (ATP into Adenosine diphosphate (ADP and In Structural biology, a protein subunit or subunit protein is a single Protein Molecule that assembles (or " coassembles " A DNA sequence or genetic sequence is a succession of letters representing the Primary structure of a real or hypothetical DNA Molecule The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth 's Oceanic divisions

Species in HBW sequence

This sequence follows the Handbook of Birds of the World. HBW_-_Taxonomygif|right|frame|(400 × 258 pixels file size38KBMIME typeimage/gif|HBW-Page on Taxonomy]]HBW-accounts_8-082-083_copia ^[4]

• Double-crested Cormorant or White-crested Cormorant, Phalacrocorax auritus
• Neotropic Cormorant, Phalacrocorax brasilianus
• Olivaceous Cormorant or Mexican Cormorant, Phalacrocorax olivaceus
• Little Black Cormorant, Phalacrocorax sulcirostris
• Great Cormorant or Black Shag, Phalacrocorax carbo
• White-breasted Cormorant, Phalacrocorax lucidus
• Indian Cormorant, Phalacrocorax fuscicollis
• Cape Cormorant, Phalacrocorax capensis
• Socotra Cormorant, Phalacrocorax nigrogularis
• Wahlberg's Cormorant or Bank Cormorant, Phalacrocorax neglectus
• Temminck's Cormorant or Japanese Cormorant, Phalacrocorax capillatus
• Brandt's Cormorant, Phalacrocorax penicillatus
• Spectacled Cormorant, Phalacrocorax perspicillatus - extinct (c. The Double-crested Cormorant ( Phalacrocorax auritus) is a member of the Cormorant family of Seabirds It occurs along inland waterways as well as in The Neotropic Cormorant, Phalacrocorax brasilianus, is a cormorant found throughout the American tropics and subtropics from the middle Rio Grande and the The Olivaceous Cormorant or Mexican Cormorant, Phalacrocorax olivaceus is a medium-sized member of the Cormorant family found in tropical and near The Little Black Cormorant, Phalacrocorax sulcirostris, is a member of the Cormorant family of Seabirds It is common in smaller rivers and lakes throughout The Great Cormorant ( Phalacrocorax carbo) known as the Great Black Cormorant across the Northern Hemisphere the Black Cormorant in Australia and the The White-breasted Cormorant, a member of the cormorant family Phalacrocoracidae, is usually treated as a Subspecies of Great Cormorant, in which case The Indian Cormorant ( Phalacrocorax fuscicollis) is a member of the Cormorant family of Seabirds It breeds in tropical Asia from The Cape Cormorant or Cape Shag, Phalacrocorax capensis, is a bird endemic to the southwestern coasts of Africa. The Socotra Cormorant, Phalacrocorax nigrogularis, is a Cormorant that is endemic to the Persian Gulf and the south-east coast of the Arabian The Bank Cormorant, Phalacrocorax neglectus, also known as Wahlberg's Cormorant is a medium-sized Cormorant that is endemic to Namibia The Japanese Cormorant ( Phalacrocorax capillatus) also known as Temminck's Cormorant, is a Cormorant native to East Asia The Brandt's Cormorant ( Phalacrocorax penicillatus) is a strictly marine Bird of the Cormorant family of Seabirds that inhabits the The Spectacled Cormorant or Pallas's Cormorant ( Phalacrocorax perspicillatus)is an extinct marine Bird of the Cormorant family In Biology and Ecology, extinction is the cessation of existence of a Species or group of taxa. 1850)
• Common Shag, Phalacrocorax aristotelis
• Pelagic Cormorant or Baird's Cormorant, Phalacrocorax pelagicus
• Red-faced Cormorant, Phalacrocorax urile
• Rock Shag, Phalacrocorax magellanicus
• Guanay Cormorant, Phalacrocorax bougainvillii
• Pied Cormorant or Yellow-faced Cormorant, Phalacrocorax varius
• Black-faced Cormorant, Phalacrocorax fuscescens
• King Shag or Rough-faced Shag, Phalacrocorax carunculatus
• Stewart Island Shag, Phalacrocorax chalconotus
• Chatham Shag, Phalacrocorax onslowi
• Auckland Shag, Phalacrocorax colensoi
• Campbell Shag, Phalacrocorax campbelli
• Bounty Shag, Phalacrocorax ranfurlyi
• Imperial Shag or Blue-eyed Shag, Phalacrocorax atriceps
  • White-bellied Shag, Phalacrocorax atriceps albiventer
• Antarctic Shag, Phalacrocorax bransfieldensis
• South Georgia Shag, Phalacrocorax georgianus
• Heard Shag, Phalacrocorax nivalis
• Crozet Shag, Phalacrocorax melanogenis
• Kerguelen Shag, Phalacrocorax verrucosus
• Macquarie Shag, Phalacrocorax purpurascens
• Red-footed Shag, Phalacrocorax gaimardi
• Spotted Shag Phalacrocorax punctatus
• Pitt Cormorant or Featherstone's Shag Phalacrocorax featherstoni
• Little Pied Cormorant, Phalacrocorax melanoleucos
• Long-tailed Cormorant, Phalacrocorax africanus
• Crowned Cormorant, Phalacrocorax coronatus
• Little Cormorant, Phalacrocorax niger
• Pygmy Cormorant, Phalacrocorax pygmaeus
• Flightless Cormorant, Phalacrocorax harrisi
• Little Shag (NZ Endemic), Phalacrocorax brevirostris

Species in phylogenetic sequence

This list attempts to follow a phylogenetic order^[8]. For the game see 1850 (board game. 1850 ( MDCCCL) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link The European Shag or Common Shag ( Phalacrocorax aristotelis) is a species of Cormorant. The Pelagic Cormorant ( Phalacrocorax pelagicus)also known as Baird's Cormorant, is a small (25"-29" 64-74 cm long member of the Cormorant The Red-faced Cormorant, Red-faced Shag or Violet Shag, Phalacrocorax urile is a species of Cormorant that is found in the far north of The Rock Shag or Magellanic cormorant is a marine Cormorant found around the southernmost coasts of South America. The Guanay Cormorant or Guanay Shag, Phalacrocorax bougainvillii, is a member of the Cormorant family found in South America. The Pied Cormorant ( Phalacrocorax varius) is a medium-sized member of the Cormorant family The Black-faced Cormorant ( Phalacrocorax fuscescens) also known as the Black-faced Shag, is a medium-sized member of the Cormorant family The King Shag ( Phalacrocorax carunculatus) also known as New Zealand King Shag or Rough-faced Shag, is a rare bird endemic to New Zealand The Stewart Island Shag ( Phalacrocorax chalconotus) also known as Bronzed Shag or Stewart Shag, is a species of shag endemic UserPolbot. --> The Chatham Island Shag ( Phalacrocorax onslowi) is a species of Bird in the The Auckland Shag ( Phalacrocorax colensoi) is a species of Cormorant from New Zealand. UserPolbot. -->The Campbell Island Shag ( Phalacrocorax campbelli) is a species of Bird in the Phalacrocoracidae UserPolbot. -->The Bounty Island Shag ( Phalacrocorax ranfurlyi) is a species of Bird in the Phalacrocoracidae The Imperial Shag, Phalacrocorax atriceps, is a Cormorant native to many Islands of the Southern Hemisphere. The Imperial Shag, Phalacrocorax atriceps, is a Cormorant native to many Islands of the Southern Hemisphere. The Imperial Shag, Phalacrocorax atriceps, is a Cormorant native to many Islands of the Southern Hemisphere. The Imperial Shag, Phalacrocorax atriceps, is a Cormorant native to many Islands of the Southern Hemisphere. The Imperial Shag, Phalacrocorax atriceps, is a Cormorant native to many Islands of the Southern Hemisphere. The Kerguelen Shag ( Phalacrocorax verrucosus) is a species of Cormorant endemic to the Kerguelen Islands. The Imperial Shag, Phalacrocorax atriceps, is a Cormorant native to many Islands of the Southern Hemisphere. UserPolbot. -->The Red-legged Cormorant ( Phalacrocorax gaimardi) is a species of Bird in the Phalacrocoracidae The Spotted Shag or Parekareka, Phalacrocorax punctatus, is a species of Cormorant endemic to New Zealand. UserPolbot. --> The Pitt Island Shag ( Phalacrocorax featherstoni) is a species of Bird in the The Little Pied Cormorant, Little Shag or Kawaupaka ( Phalacrocorax melanoleucos) is a common Australasian waterbird found around the coasts The Long-tailed Cormorant or Reed Cormorant, ( Phalacrocorax africanus) is a member of the Cormorant family The Crowned Cormorant, Phalacrocorax coronatus, is a small Cormorant that is endemic to Namibia and the western seaboard of South The Little Cormorant ( Phalacrocorax niger) is a member of the Cormorant family of Seabirds It breeds in tropical south Asia from southern The Pygmy Cormorant ( Phalacrocorax pygmaeus) is a member of the Cormorant family of Seabirds It breeds in southeastern Europe The Flightless Cormorant ( Phalacrocorax harrisi) also known as the Galapagos Cormorant, is a Cormorant native to the Galapagos Islands, The Little Cormorant ( Phalacrocorax niger) is a member of the Cormorant family of Seabirds It breeds in tropical south Asia from southern UserPolbot. -->The Red-legged Cormorant ( Phalacrocorax gaimardi) is a species of Bird in the Phalacrocoracidae If the distinction into subfamilies would be upheld, the "blue-eyed" and related species would probably be the Leucocarboninae, and the groups that follow them the Phalacrocoracinae. The first two lineages (and possibly the Flightless Cormorant) are basal and cannot be assigned to either subfamily.

Basal lineage 1: "Microcormorants", proposed genus Microcarbo or Halietor ("Phalacrocoracinae"); the former genus name would be valid.

Small, short-billed subtropical to tropical marine and freshwater species from the Old World and Australia. The Old World consists of those parts of Earth known to Europeans Asians and Africans in the 15th century For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Australia topics. They have black feet and almost all lack significant white feathers. They often have a diminutive frontal tuft.

• Little Pied Cormorant, Phalacrocorax melanoleucos
• Long-tailed Cormorant, Phalacrocorax africanus
• Crowned Cormorant, Phalacrocorax coronatus
• Little Cormorant, Phalacrocorax niger
• Pygmy Cormorant, Phalacrocorax pygmaeus

Basal lineage 2: Red-footed Shag. The Little Pied Cormorant, Little Shag or Kawaupaka ( Phalacrocorax melanoleucos) is a common Australasian waterbird found around the coasts The Long-tailed Cormorant or Reed Cormorant, ( Phalacrocorax africanus) is a member of the Cormorant family The Crowned Cormorant, Phalacrocorax coronatus, is a small Cormorant that is endemic to Namibia and the western seaboard of South The Little Cormorant ( Phalacrocorax niger) is a member of the Cormorant family of Seabirds It breeds in tropical south Asia from southern The Pygmy Cormorant ( Phalacrocorax pygmaeus) is a member of the Cormorant family of Seabirds It breeds in southeastern Europe Included in Leucocarbo or Stictocarbo ("Leucocarboninae")

Pacific coast of South America. South America is a Continent of the Americas, situated entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a This species apparently has no close living relatives. It has a highly apomorphic color pattern: naked red base of bill, red feet, and a white neck spot, and it is crestless. Cladistics is the hierarchical classification of Species based on evolutionary ancestry It seems to be convergent in some aspects with the punctatus superspecies. What seems sure by now is that this species must be placed in a distinct monotypic genus Poikilocarbo in almost any case, if any species are split from Phalacrocorax at all. Monotypic is an adjective that refers to a taxonomic group with only one type: In Botany, "monotypic" means that a Taxon has only ^[9]

• Red-footed Shag, Phalacrocorax gaimardi

Blue-eyed shags and relatives: variously placed in Euleucocarbo, Hypoleucos Leucocarbo, Notocarbo and Stictocarbo ("Leucocarboninae")

This reasonably well-supported marine clade contains 3 lineages:

1. One containing American species which are black-footed, black-plumaged, and have vellow skin at the base of the bill as well as white display crests behind the eyes in breeding plumage. UserPolbot. -->The Red-legged Cormorant ( Phalacrocorax gaimardi) is a species of Bird in the Phalacrocoracidae The Double-crested Cormorant ( Phalacrocorax auritus) is a member of the Cormorant family of Seabirds It occurs along inland waterways as well as in A clade is a taxonomic group comprising a single Common ancestor and all the descendants of that ancestor They occur in marine and freshwater habitats. If considered a genus, they would get the name Dilophalieus.
2. The Rock Shag from southern South America with red skin at the bill base, pink feet, a frontal crest, and an apomorphic white ear-spot
3. A group of numerous close-knit forms from southern Pacific and subantarctic waters which are white below with pink feet but otherwise quite varying in appearance. The Rock Shag or Magellanic cormorant is a marine Cormorant found around the southernmost coasts of South America. The Subantarctic is a region in the Southern Hemisphere immediately north of Antarctica and covering the many islands of the southern parts of the Indian Ocean It contains the King and Imperial complexes and the Guanay Cormorant. Almost all have some amount of white on the upperwing coverts, frontal crests, and blue eye-rings. The crested shags with yellow warts in front of the eyes belong to this group. The genus name Leucocarbo would apply to either this group, or the entire clade.

• Double-crested Cormorant or White-crested Cormorant, Phalacrocorax auritus
• Neotropic Cormorant, Phalacrocorax brasilianus
• Olivaceous Cormorant or Mexican Cormorant, Phalacrocorax olivaceus

• Rock Shag, Phalacrocorax magellanicus

• Imperial Shag or Blue-eyed Shag, Phalacrocorax atriceps
  • White-bellied Shag, Phalacrocorax (atriceps) albiventer
  • Antarctic Shag, Phalacrocorax (atriceps) bransfieldensis
  • South Georgian Shag, Phalacrocorax (atriceps) georgianus
  • Heard Shag, Phalacrocorax (atriceps) nivalis
  • Crozet Shag, Phalacrocorax (atriceps) melanogenis
  • Kerguelen Shag, Phalacrocorax (atriceps) verrucosus
  • Macquarie Shag, Phalacrocorax (atriceps) purpurascens
• Guanay Cormorant, Phalacrocorax bougainvillii
• King Shag or Rough-faced Shag, Phalacrocorax carunculatus
• Stewart Island Shag, Phalacrocorax chalconotus
• Chatham Shag, Phalacrocorax onslowi
• Auckland Shag, Phalacrocorax colensoi
• Campbell Shag, Phalacrocorax campbelli
• Bounty Shag, Phalacrocorax ranfurlyi

North Pacific shags: spread between Compsohalieus ("Phalacrocoracinae") and Stictocarbo ("Leucocarboninae"). The Double-crested Cormorant ( Phalacrocorax auritus) is a member of the Cormorant family of Seabirds It occurs along inland waterways as well as in The Neotropic Cormorant, Phalacrocorax brasilianus, is a cormorant found throughout the American tropics and subtropics from the middle Rio Grande and the The Olivaceous Cormorant or Mexican Cormorant, Phalacrocorax olivaceus is a medium-sized member of the Cormorant family found in tropical and near The Rock Shag or Magellanic cormorant is a marine Cormorant found around the southernmost coasts of South America. The Guanay Cormorant or Guanay Shag, Phalacrocorax bougainvillii, is a member of the Cormorant family found in South America. The Imperial Shag, Phalacrocorax atriceps, is a Cormorant native to many Islands of the Southern Hemisphere. The Imperial Shag, Phalacrocorax atriceps, is a Cormorant native to many Islands of the Southern Hemisphere. The Imperial Shag, Phalacrocorax atriceps, is a Cormorant native to many Islands of the Southern Hemisphere. The Imperial Shag, Phalacrocorax atriceps, is a Cormorant native to many Islands of the Southern Hemisphere. The Kerguelen Shag ( Phalacrocorax verrucosus) is a species of Cormorant endemic to the Kerguelen Islands. The Imperial Shag, Phalacrocorax atriceps, is a Cormorant native to many Islands of the Southern Hemisphere. The Guanay Cormorant or Guanay Shag, Phalacrocorax bougainvillii, is a member of the Cormorant family found in South America. The King Shag ( Phalacrocorax carunculatus) also known as New Zealand King Shag or Rough-faced Shag, is a rare bird endemic to New Zealand The Stewart Island Shag ( Phalacrocorax chalconotus) also known as Bronzed Shag or Stewart Shag, is a species of shag endemic UserPolbot. --> The Chatham Island Shag ( Phalacrocorax onslowi) is a species of Bird in the The Auckland Shag ( Phalacrocorax colensoi) is a species of Cormorant from New Zealand. UserPolbot. -->The Campbell Island Shag ( Phalacrocorax campbelli) is a species of Bird in the Phalacrocoracidae UserPolbot. -->The Bounty Island Shag ( Phalacrocorax ranfurlyi) is a species of Bird in the Phalacrocoracidae The Brandt's Cormorant ( Phalacrocorax penicillatus) is a strictly marine Bird of the Cormorant family of Seabirds that inhabits the If a distinct genus, the former name would apply

A well-supported marine group ranging from the Bering Strait to California. The Bering Strait (Берингов пролив Beringov proliv) is a sea Strait between Cape Dezhnev, Russia, the easternmost point (169°43' California ( is a US state on the West Coast of the United States, along the Pacific Ocean. They are black-footed and have white ornamental plumes strewn about the head and neck in breeding plumage. They tend to have prominent double crests.

• Brandt's Cormorant, Phalacrocorax penicillatus
• Spectacled Cormorant, Phalacrocorax perspicillatus - extinct (c. The Brandt's Cormorant ( Phalacrocorax penicillatus) is a strictly marine Bird of the Cormorant family of Seabirds that inhabits the The Spectacled Cormorant or Pallas's Cormorant ( Phalacrocorax perspicillatus)is an extinct marine Bird of the Cormorant family In Biology and Ecology, extinction is the cessation of existence of a Species or group of taxa. 1850)
• Pelagic Cormorant or Baird's Cormorant, Phalacrocorax pelagicus
• Red-faced Cormorant, Phalacrocorax urile

Common Shag lineage: formerly in Compsohalieus ("Phalacrocoracinae") and Stictocarbo ("Leucocarboninae")

Black-footed smallish marine shags of Europe and southern Africa. For the game see 1850 (board game. 1850 ( MDCCCL) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link The Pelagic Cormorant ( Phalacrocorax pelagicus)also known as Baird's Cormorant, is a small (25"-29" 64-74 cm long member of the Cormorant The Red-faced Cormorant, Red-faced Shag or Violet Shag, Phalacrocorax urile is a species of Cormorant that is found in the far north of Wahlberg's Cormorant is very tentatively placed here; it seems anatomically more similar to the P. fuscscens, but the more informative characters - the combination of frontal crest and lack of extensive naked skin at bill base in mid-sized Old World species - seem to place it here. If this is correct, they are probably very distantly related due to biogeography. Biogeography is the study of the distribution of Biodiversity over Space and Time.

• Common Shag, Phalacrocorax aristotelis
• Wahlberg's Cormorant or Bank Cormorant, Phalacrocorax neglectus - tentatively placed here^[10]

Indian Ocean group: spread between Hypoleucos and Leucocarbo ("Leucocarboninae") and Compsohalieus ("Phalacrocoracinae"). The European Shag or Common Shag ( Phalacrocorax aristotelis) is a species of Cormorant. The Bank Cormorant, Phalacrocorax neglectus, also known as Wahlberg's Cormorant is a medium-sized Cormorant that is endemic to Namibia Hypoleucos would be the correct genus name if they were split off.

A group of black-footed species occurring in tropical coastal or inland habitat between the Persian Gulf and Australia. The Little Black Cormorant, Phalacrocorax sulcirostris, is a member of the Cormorant family of Seabirds It is common in smaller rivers and lakes throughout A habitat (which is Latin for "it inhabits" is an Ecological or environmental area that is inhabited by a particular Species. The Persian Gulf, in the Southwest Asian region is an extension of the Most species are tentatively assigned here, based on the combination of range, crestlessness, size, general lack of naked skin ornaments and the presence of some amount of white feathering in the ear region at least in breeding plumage. This clade is not too well supported, but this may be because the two presumed members included in recent research^[11] are quite dissimilar; the three unstudied ones are very similar to one or the other^[4].

• Little Black Cormorant, Phalacrocorax sulcirostris
• Indian Cormorant, Phalacrocorax fuscicollis - tentatively placed here
• Socotran Cormorant, Phalacrocorax nigrogularis - tentatively placed here
• Pied Cormorant or Yellow-faced Cormorant, Phalacrocorax varius
• Black-faced Cormorant, Phalacrocorax fuscescens - tentatively placed here

Spotted group: placed in Stictocarbo ("Leucocarboninae"); indeed, they would be the only members of this possibly distinct genus

A superspecies of the New Zealand region. The Little Black Cormorant, Phalacrocorax sulcirostris, is a member of the Cormorant family of Seabirds It is common in smaller rivers and lakes throughout The Indian Cormorant ( Phalacrocorax fuscicollis) is a member of the Cormorant family of Seabirds It breeds in tropical Asia from The Socotra Cormorant, Phalacrocorax nigrogularis, is a Cormorant that is endemic to the Persian Gulf and the south-east coast of the Arabian The Pied Cormorant ( Phalacrocorax varius) is a medium-sized member of the Cormorant family The Black-faced Cormorant ( Phalacrocorax fuscescens) also known as the Black-faced Shag, is a medium-sized member of the Cormorant family New Zealand is an Island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses (the North Island and the South Island Peculiarly apomorphic, with yellowish legs, prominent double crests, white ornamental plumes on the neck, a grey belly and spotted wings.

• Spotted Shag Phalacrocorax punctatus
• Pitt Cormorant or Featherstone's Shag Phalacrocorax featherstoni

Cape Cormorant: sometimes placed in Leucocarbo ("Leucocarboninae")

Highly plesiomorphic among its relatives; a species from the southern coasts of Africa. The Spotted Shag or Parekareka, Phalacrocorax punctatus, is a species of Cormorant endemic to New Zealand. UserPolbot. --> The Pitt Island Shag ( Phalacrocorax featherstoni) is a species of Bird in the Cladistics is the hierarchical classification of Species based on evolutionary ancestry It is apparently close to the common ancestor of the next group and, perhaps apart from the all-black plumage, looks almost identical to that long-extinct bird.

• Cape Cormorant, Phalacrocorax capensis

True cormorants: these would be retained in Phalacrocorax no matter how the cormorants and shags are split up

They occur from the western Atlantic through the Old World into Australia, usually but not always in marine and temperate to subtropical habitat. The Cape Cormorant or Cape Shag, Phalacrocorax capensis, is a bird endemic to the southwestern coasts of Africa. The Great Cormorant ( Phalacrocorax carbo) known as the Great Black Cormorant across the Northern Hemisphere the Black Cormorant in Australia and the They are characteristic, being large, with white cheek and thigh patches, ornamental plumes in the neck, a yellow naked bill base, black feet, and a shaggy nape crest.

• Great Cormorant, Phalacrocorax carbo
• White-breasted Cormorant, Phalacrocorax lucidus
• Temminck's Cormorant or Japanese Cormorant, Phalacrocorax capillatus

Incertae sedis: Occasionally placed in the monotypic genus Nannopterum, alternatively Compsohalieus ("Phalacrocoracinae") or Leucocarbo ("Leucocarboninae")

The relationships of this species remain unresolved. The Great Cormorant ( Phalacrocorax carbo) known as the Great Black Cormorant across the Northern Hemisphere the Black Cormorant in Australia and the The White-breasted Cormorant, a member of the cormorant family Phalacrocoracidae, is usually treated as a Subspecies of Great Cormorant, in which case The Japanese Cormorant ( Phalacrocorax capillatus) also known as Temminck's Cormorant, is a Cormorant native to East Asia Monotypic is an adjective that refers to a taxonomic group with only one type: In Botany, "monotypic" means that a Taxon has only Confined to the Galapagos Islands, its wings have been reduced by evolution to tiny size. eVolution is the third Album by eLDee, it was due to be released in 2008 It is extremely apomorphic due to its flightlessness, and its plumage is entirely nondescript. It might be a derivative of the North Pacific lineage, or even the only cormorant somewhat closer to the Red-footed Shag.

• Flightless Cormorant, Phalacrocorax harrisi

Evolution and fossil record

Cormorants seem to be a very ancient group, with similar ancestors reaching all the way back to the time of the dinosaurs. The Flightless Cormorant ( Phalacrocorax harrisi) also known as the Galapagos Cormorant, is a Cormorant native to the Galapagos Islands, In fact, the very earliest known modern bird, Gansus yumenensis, had essentially the same structure, although it was not a cormorant per se. Gansus is a Genus of aquatic Birds that lived during the Albian stage of the Early Cretaceous period (around 110 million The details of the evolution of the cormorant are mostly unknown, today. Even the technique of using the distribution and relationships of a species to figure out where it came from, biogeography, usually very informative, does not give very specific data for this probably rather ancient and widespread group. Biogeography is the study of the distribution of Biodiversity over Space and Time. However, the closest living relatives of the cormorants and shags are the other families of the suborder Sulae - darters and gannets and boobies -, which have a primarily Gondwanan distribution. This article is about the taxonomic rank for the sequence of species in a taxonomic list see Taxonomic order In scientific classification used The darters or snake-birds are birds in the family Anhingidae. The Bird family Sulidae comprises the Gannets and boobies. Both groups are medium-large coastal Seabirds that plunge-dive for fish Gondwana (ɡɒnˈdwɑːnə originally Gondwanaland) was a southern Supercontinent that existed about 500 to 200 Ma ago Hence, at least the modern diveristy of Sulae probably originated on the southern hemisphere. Southern Hemisphere is the half of a Planet that is South of the Equator —the word hemisphere literally means 'half ball'

While the leucocarbonines are almost certainly of southern Pacific origin - possibly even Antarctic, which at the time when cormorants evolved was not yet ice-covered - all that can be said about the phalacrocoracines is that they are most diverse in the regions bordering the Indian Ocean, but generally occur over a large area.

Similarly, the origin of the family is shrouded in uncertainties. Some Late Cretaceous fossils have been proposed to belong into the Phalacrocoracidae:
A scapula from the Campanian-Maastrichtian boundary, about 70 mya (million years ago), was found in the Nemegt Formation in Mongolia; it is now in the PIN collection^[12]. Late Cretaceous (100mya - 65mya refers to the second half of the Cretaceous Period, named after the famous white Chalk cliffs of southern England In Anatomy, the scapula, omo, or shoulder blade, is the Bone that connects the Humerus (arm bone with the Clavicle (collar The Campanian is a stage on the Geologic time scale occurring from 83 The Maastrichtian is the last stage of the Cretaceous period, and therefore of the Mesozoic era. The Nemegt Formation (or Nemegtskaya Svita) is a geological formation dating from the Late Cretaceous sedimentary from the Gobi Desert Mongolia (mɒŋˈɡoʊliə, literally Mongol country/nation,) is a Landlocked Country in East The Paleontological Institute of Russian Academy of Sciences ( PIN; Палеонтологический институт РАН in Moscow is among the world's largest It is from a bird roughly the size of a Spectacled Cormorant, and quite similar to the correesponding bone in Phalacrocorax. The Spectacled Cormorant or Pallas's Cormorant ( Phalacrocorax perspicillatus)is an extinct marine Bird of the Cormorant family A Maastrichtian (Late Cretaceous, c. The Maastrichtian is the last stage of the Cretaceous period, and therefore of the Mesozoic era. Late Cretaceous (100mya - 65mya refers to the second half of the Cretaceous Period, named after the famous white Chalk cliffs of southern England 66 mya) right femur, AMNH FR 25272 from the Lance Formation near Lance Creek, Wyoming, is sometimes suggested to be the second-oldest record of the Phalacrocoracidae; this was from a rather smaller bird, about the size of a Long-tailed Cormorant^[13]. The femur is the thigh bone In Humans, it is the longest, most voluminous and strongest Bone. The American Museum of Natural History ( AMNH) located on the Upper West Side, Manhattan, New York, USA is one of the largest and most The Lance (Creek Formation is a division of Late Cretaceous rocks in the western United States Lance Creek is a Census-designated place (CDP in Niobrara County, Wyoming, United States. The Long-tailed Cormorant or Reed Cormorant, ( Phalacrocorax africanus) is a member of the Cormorant family

As the Early Oligocene "Sula" ronzoni cannot be assigned to any of the suloid families - cormorants and shags, darters, and gannets and boobies - with certainty, the best interpretation is that the Phalacrocoracidae diverged from their closest ancestors in the Early Oligocene, perhaps some 30 million years ago, and that the Cretaceous fossils represent ancestral suloids, "pelecaniforms" or "higher waterbirds"; at least the last lineage is generally believed to have been already distinct and undergoing evolutionary radiation at the end of the Cretaceous. The Rupelian (also known as Stampian, Tongrian, Latdorfian, Vicksburgian, or Early Oligocene) is the first of two stages An evolutionary radiation is an increase in taxonomic diversity or morphological disparity due to adaptive change or the opening of ecospace The Cretaceous–Tertiary extinction event, which occurred approximately ( Ma) was a large-scale mass extinction of animal and plant species in a geologically What can be said with near-certainty is that AMNH FR 25272 is from a diving bird that used its feet for underwater locomotion; as this is liable to result in some degree of convergent evolution and the bone is missing undisputable neornithine features, it is not entirely certain that the bone is correctly referred to this group^[14]. Convergent evolution describes the acquisition of the same biological trait in unrelated lineages

During the late Paleogene, when the family presumably originated, much of Eurasia was covered by shallow seas, as the Indian Plate finally attached to the mainland. The Paleogene (alternatively Palaeogene) is a geologic period and system that began 65 The India or Indian Plate is a Tectonic plate that was originally a part of the ancient continent of Gondwanaland from which it split off eventually Lacking a detailed study, it may well be that the first "modern" cormorants were small species from East, Southeast or South Asia, possibly living in freshwater habitat, that dispersed due to tectonic events. This article discusses the geologic usage for the philosophical or architectural usage see Architectonics ' Or see Plate tectonics. Such a scenario would account for the present-day distribution of cormorants and shags and is not contradicted by the fossil record; as remarked above, a thorough review of the problem is not yet available.

One distinct genus of prehistoric cormorants is generally accepted today, if Phalacrocorax is used for all living species:

• †Nectornis (Late Oligocene?/Early Miocene of C Europe - Middle Miocene of Bes-Konak, Turkey) - includes Oligocorax miocaenus

Oligocorax appears to be paraphyletic - the European species have been separated in Nectornis, and the North American ones are placed in the expanded Phalacrocorax. In Phylogenetics, a group of organisms is said to be paraphyletic if the group contains its most recent common ancestor but does not contain all A Late Oligocene fossil cormoran foot from Enspel (Germany), sometimes placed herein, would then be referrable to Nectornis if it proves not to be too distinct. The Chattian (also known as Chickasawhayan or Late Oligocene) is the second and final of two stages of the Oligocene Epoch. Enspel is an Ortsgemeinde – a community belonging to a Verbandsgemeinde – in the Westerwaldkreis in Rhineland-Palatinate, All these early European species might belong to the basal group of "microcormorants", as they agree with them in size and seem to have inhabited the same habitat: subtropical coastal or inland waters.

The supposed Late Pliocene/Early Pleistocene "Valenticarbo" is a nomen dubium and given its recent age probably not a separate genus. The Pliocene epoch (spelled Pleiocene in some older texts is the period in the Geologic timescale that extends Early Pleistocene (also known as Lower Pleistocene, or Calabrian) is a subdivision of the Pleistocene Epoch of the Geologic time scale Valenticarbo is a supposed Genus of Extinct Bird that lived during the Late Pliocene or Early Pleistocene (c In zoological nomenclature, a nomen dubium ( Latin for "doubtful name" plural nomina dubia) is a scientific name that is

The remaining species are, in accordance with the scheme used in this article, all placed in the modern genus Phalacrocorax:

• Phalacrocorax marinavis (Oligocene ?-? Early Miocene of Oregon, USA) - formerly Oligocorax
• Phalacrocorax littoralis (Late Oligocene/Early Miocene of St-Gérand-le-Puy, France) - formerly Oligocorax, might belong into Nectornis
• Phalacrocorax intermedius (Early - Middle Miocene of C Europe) - includes P. praecarbo, Ardea/P. brunhuberi and Botaurites avitus
• Phalacrocorax macropus (Early Miocene ?-? Pliocene of NW USA)
• Phalacrocorax ibericus (Late Miocene of Valles de Fuentiduena, Spain)
• Phalacrocorax lautus (Late Miocene of Golboçica, Moldavia)
• Phalacrocorax serdicensis (Late Miocene of Hrabarsko, Bulgaria)
• Phalacrocorax femoralis (Modelo Late Miocene/Early Pliocene of WC North America) - formerly Miocorax
• Phalacrocorax sp. (Late Miocene/Early Pliocene of Lee Creek Mine, USA)
• Phalacrocorax longipes (Late Miocene - Early Pliocene of the Ukraine) - formerly Pliocarbo
• Phalacrocorax goletensis (Early Pliocene ?-? Early Pleistocene of Mexico)
• Phalacrocorax wetmorei (Bone Valley Early Pliocene of Florida)
• Phalacrocorax sp. (Bone Valley Early Pliocene of Polk County, Florida, USA)^[15]
• Phalacrocorax leptopus (Juntura Early/Middle Pliocene of Juntura, Malheur County, Oregon, USA)
• Phalacrocorax idahensis (Middle Pliocene ?-? Pleistocene of Idaho, USA)
• Phalacrocorax destefanii (Late Pliocene of Italy) - formerly Paracorax
• Phalacrocorax filyawi (Pinecrest Late Pliocene of Florida, USA) - may be P. Juntura is an unincorporated community in Malheur County, Oregon, United States on U Malheur County (mælˈhɪər is a county located in the southeast corner of the U Oregon ( is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. idahensis
• Phalacrocorax kumeyaay (San Diego Late Pliocene of California)
• Phalacrocorax macer (Late Pliocene of Idaho, USA)
• Phalacrocorax mongoliensis (Late Pliocene of W Mongolia)
• Phalacrocorax rogersi (Late Pliocene -? Early Pleistocene of California, USA)
• Phalacrocorax kennelli (San Diego Pliocene of California)
• Phalacrocorax sp. "Wildhalm" (Pliocene) - may be same as P. longipes^[16]
• Phalacrocorax chapalensis (Late Pliocene/Early Pleistocene of Jalisco, Mexico
• Phalacrocorax gregorii (Late Pleistocene of Australia) - possibly not a valid species
• Phalacrocorax vetustus (Late Pleistocene of Australia) - formerly Australocorax, possibly not a valid species
• Phalacrocorax reliquus
• Phalacrocorax sp. (Sarasota County, Florida) - may be P. filawyi/idahensis

The former "Phalacrocorax" (or "Oligocorax") mediterraneus is now considered to belong to the bathornithid Paracrax antiqua^[17]. "P. " subvolans was actually a darter (Anhinga). The darters or snake-birds are birds in the family Anhingidae.

Cormorant fishing

Main article: Cormorant fishing

Humans have historically exploited cormorants' fishing skills, in China, Japan, and Macedonia, where they have been trained by fishermen. Cormorant fishing is a traditional fishing method in which fishermen use trained Cormorants to fish in rivers China ( Wade-Giles ( Mandarin) Chung¹kuo² is a cultural region, an ancient Civilization, and depending on perspective a National For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Japan topics. The Republic of Macedonia (Република A snare is tied near the base of the bird's throat, which allows the bird only to swallow small fish. When the bird captures and tries to swallow a large fish, the fish is caught in the bird's throat. When the bird returns to the fisherman's raft, the fisherman helps the bird to remove the fish from its throat. The method is not as common today, since more efficient methods of catching fish have been developed.

In Japan, cormorant fishing is called ukai (鵜飼). Traditional forms of ukai can be seen on the Nagara River in the city of Gifu, Gifu Prefecture, where cormorant fishing has continued uninterrupted for 1300 years, or in the city of Inuyama, Aichi. The has its source in the city of Gujō, Gifu Prefecture, and its mouth in the city of Kuwana, Mie Prefecture, Japan. is a city located in the south-central portion of Gifu Prefecture, Japan and serves as the prefectural capital WikipediaWikiProject Japanese prefectures for guidelines--> is a prefecture located in the Chūbu region of central Japan. has played a vital role in the history of the city of Gifu, Gifu Prefecture, Japan. is a city located near Nagoya in Aichi, Japan. The city was founded on April 1, 1954. WikipediaWikiProject Japanese prefectures for guidelines --> is a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūbu region. In Guilin, China, cormorant birds are famous for fishing on the shallow Lijiang River. Guilin ( Pinyin: Guìlín) is a city in China, situated in the northeast of the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region on the west bank of the For the city in Yunnan Province see Lijiang City. For other uses see Lijiang The Li River or Li Jiang ( Chinese

In Gifu, the Japanese Cormorant (P. The Japanese Cormorant ( Phalacrocorax capillatus) also known as Temminck's Cormorant, is a Cormorant native to East Asia capillatus) is used; Chinese fishermen often employ Great Cormorants (P. The Great Cormorant ( Phalacrocorax carbo) known as the Great Black Cormorant across the Northern Hemisphere the Black Cormorant in Australia and the carbo). ^[18]

Cormorants in human culture

• The Moche people of ancient Peru worshipped nature. The Moche civilization (alternately the Mochica culture Early Chimu Pre-Chimu Proto-Chimu etc Peru (Perú Piruw Piruw officially the Republic of Peru ( reˈpuβlika del peˈɾu is a country in western South America. ^[19] They placed emphasis on animals and even depicted cormorants in their art. ^[20]
• Cormorants feature quite commonly in heraldry and medieval ornamentation, usually in their "wing-drying" pose, which was seen as representing the Christian cross. Heraldry in its most general sense encompasses all matters relating to the duties and responsibilities of officers of arms. A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, a monotheistic Religion centered on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth For example, the Norwegian municipalities of Røst, Loppa and Skjervøy have cormorants in their coat-of-arms. Røst is a municipality in the county of Nordland, Norway Røst was separated from Værøy July 1 1928 Loppa is a municipality in the county of Finnmark Norway. Loppa was established as a municipality January 1 1838 (see Formannskapsdistrikt) Skjervøy is a municipality in the county of Troms Norway. Skjervøy was established as a municipality January 1 1838 (see Formannskapsdistrikt) The species depicted in heraldry is most likely to be the Great Cormorant, the most familiar species in Europe. The Great Cormorant ( Phalacrocorax carbo) known as the Great Black Cormorant across the Northern Hemisphere the Black Cormorant in Australia and the
• In 1853, a woman wearing a dress made of cormorant feathers was found on San Nicolas Island, off the southern coast of California. San Nicolas Island is the most remote of California 's Channel Islands. California ( is a US state on the West Coast of the United States, along the Pacific Ocean. She had sewn the feather dress together using whale sinews. She is known as the Lone Woman of San Nicolas and was later baptized "Juana Maria" (her original name is lost). Juana Maria (died October 18, 1853) better known to history as "The Lone Woman of San Nicolas" (her Indian name is unknown was a Native American The woman had lived alone on the island for 18 years before being rescued.
• Christopher Isherwood in his comic verse The Common Cormorant was evidently unclear on the differences between cormorants and shags, and his information about the birds' nesting habits should not be relied on either. Christopher Isherwood ( August 26, 1904 &ndash January 4, 1986) was an Anglo-American Novelist. ^[21]
• In addition to those mentioned above, the bird has inspired numerous writers, including Amy Clampitt, who wrote a poem called "The Cormorant in its Element". Amy Clampitt ( June 15, 1920 - September 10, 1994) was an American poet and Author. Which species she was referring to is not obvious, since all members of the family share the characteristic behavioural and morphological features that the poem celebrates. The combination of "slim head [. . . ] vermilion-strapped" and "big black feet" perhaps points at the Pelagic Cormorant, which is the only species occurring in the temperate U. The Pelagic Cormorant ( Phalacrocorax pelagicus)also known as Baird's Cormorant, is a small (25"-29" 64-74 cm long member of the Cormorant S. with these features.

Footnotes

References

• Benson, Elizabeth (1972): The Mochica: A Culture of Peru. Praeger Press, New York.
• Berrin, Katherine & Larco Museum (1997):. The Spirit of Ancient Peru: Treasures from the Museo Arqueológico Rafael Larco Herrera. The Larco Museum (Museo Larco is located in the Pueblo Libre District in Lima, Peru. Thames and Hudson, New York. Thames & Hudson (also Thames and Hudson and sometimes T&H for brevity are a Publisher, especially of Art and Illustrated Books
• Cracraft, Joel (1971): Systematics and evolution of the Gruiformes (Class Aves). 2. Additional comments on the Bathornithidae, with descriptions of new species. American Museum Novitates 2449: 1-14 PDF fulltext
• Dorst, J. & Mougin, J. L. (1979): Family Phalacrocoracidae. In: Mayr, Ernst & Cottrell, G. Ernst Walter Mayr ( July 5, 1904, Kempten, Germany &ndash February 3, 2005, Bedford Massachusetts U W. (eds. ): Check-List of the Birds of the World Vol. 1, 2nd ed. (Struthioniformes, Tinamiformes, Procellariiformes, Sphenisciformes, Gaviiformes, Podicipediformes, Pelecaniformes, Ciconiiformes, Phoenicopteriformes, Falconiformes, Anseriformes): 163-179. Museum of Comparative Zoology, Cambridge.
• Hope, Sylvia (2002): The Mesozoic radiation of Neornithes. In: Chiappe, Luis M. & Witmer, Lawrence M. (eds. ): Mesozoic Birds: Above the Heads of Dinosaurs: 339-388. ISBN 0520200942
• Howard, Hildegarde (1932): A New Species of Cormorant from Pliocene Deposits near Santa Barbara, California. Condor 34(3): 118-120. This article is about the journal The Condor for information about the bird from which it takes it name see Condor. doi:10.2307/1363540 PDF fulltext DjVu fulltext
• IUCN (2007): 2007 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. A digital object identifier ( DOI) is a permanent identifier given to an Electronic document. IUCN, Gland.
• Kennedy, M. ; Gray, R. D. & Spencer H. G. (2000): The Phylogenetic Relationships of the Shags and Cormorants: Can Sequence Data Resolve a Disagreement between Behavior and Morphology? Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 17(3): 345-359. doi:10.1006/mpev.2000.0840 PDF fulltext
• Kurochkin, Evgeny N. A digital object identifier ( DOI) is a permanent identifier given to an Electronic document. (1995): Synopsis of Mesozoic birds and early evolution of Class Aves. Archaeopteryx 13: 47–66. PDF fulltext
• Mayr, Gerald (2005): Tertiary plotopterids (Aves, Plotopteridae) and a novel hypothesis on the phylogenetic relationships of penguins (Spheniscidae). Journal of Zoological Systematics 43(1): 67-71. PDF fulltext
• Murray, Bertram G. Jr. (1970): A Redescription of Two Pliocene Cormorants. Condor 72(3): 293-298. This article is about the journal The Condor for information about the bird from which it takes it name see Condor. doi:10.2307/1366006 PDF fulltext DjVu fulltext
• Orta, Jaume (1992): Family Phalacrocoracidae. A digital object identifier ( DOI) is a permanent identifier given to an Electronic document. In: del Hoyo, Josep; Elliott, Andrew & Sargatal, Jordi (eds. ): Handbook of Birds of the World, Volume 1 (Ostrich to Ducks): 326-353, plates 22-23. HBW_-_Taxonomygif|right|frame|(400 × 258 pixels file size38KBMIME typeimage/gif|HBW-Page on Taxonomy]]HBW-accounts_8-082-083_copia Lynx Edicions, Barcelona. ISBN 84-87334-10-5
• Robertson, Connie (1998): Book of Humorous Quotations. Wordsworth Editions. ISBN 1853267597 Limited fulltext at Google Books. Google Book Search is a tool from Google that searches the full text of books that Google scans OCRs, and stores in its digital database
• Siegel-Causey, Douglas (1988): Phylogeny of the Phalacrocoracidae. Condor 90(4): 885–905. This article is about the journal The Condor for information about the bird from which it takes it name see Condor. PDF fulltext DjVu fulltext
• Thevet, F. André (1558): [About birds of Ascension Island]. André de Thevet (1502 in Angouleme - November 23 1590 in Paris) was a French Franciscan Priest, Explorer In: Les singularitez de la France Antarctique, autrement nommee Amerique, & de plusieurs terres & isles decouvertes de nostre temps: 39-40. Maurice de la Porte heirs, Paris. Fulltext at Gallica
• van Tets, G. F. (1976): Australasia and the origin of shags and cormorants, Phalacrocoracidae. Proceedings of the XVI International Ornithological Congress: 121–124.

External links

• Cormorants (Phalacracorax carbo) in the British Isles
• Cormorant videos on the Internet Bird Collection
• Recovery plan for Chatham Island shag and Pitt Island shag 2001-2011 (PDF). Department of Conservation, Wellington, New Zealand (2001). Retrieved on 2007-09-28. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 48 BC - Pompey the Great is assassinated on orders of King Ptolemy of Egypt after landing in Egypt.

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