Crowned Cormorant Microcarbo coronatus Scientific name definitions

c. 54 cm, male 710–880 g, female 670–780 g. Breeding adult has head, neck and most of body shiny black, with a long, erectile, shaggy crest on forecrown, scattered short white filoplumes  on head and neck, concentrated above and behind eye but not forming tuft, scapulars dark bronzy brown to mid grey, each feather with blackish spot at tip, wing-coverts concolorous but each feather fringed blackish, broadest at tip, but fringes rather evenly narrower on greater coverts; non-breeding adult duller, slightly brown-tinged. Iris red  ; skin around eye and broadly over lores pale pink to pink-red speckled black, orbital ring and lower lores can be duller and duskier, and facial skin duller in non-breeding season; bill largely dusky brown to blackish grey, gape and base of mandible orangey horn-yellow, as is lower ridge to mandible, with paler yellow spot between tip and sides, and gular pouch same colour as gape; legs black. Sexes similar, but male averages larger. Juvenile  has just a hint of crest, and is entirely dark brown to blackish brown except mainly whitish throat; upperparts rather plain, foreneck and chest often obscurely spotted, iris grey at first, soon becoming browner or redder, facial skin initially dull, bill largely dusky brown, greyer at tip, with some orangey horn at base of mandible; subsequent plumage similar but scapulars and most of wing-coverts have evenly narrow blacker fringes; subadult closer to adult’s upperparts pattern, but scapulars and most wing-coverts distinctly greyer with thin pale fringes when fresh, head and neck duller and less dark, foreneck and breast often noticeably paler dull brown than rest of plumage, contrasting with blackish flanks and rear underparts, and can look much greyer than other plumages. Red iris of adult distinguishes present species from all other small long-tailed cormorants except fairly similar M. africanus, from which separated by slightly shorter tail, marginally shorter neck, heavier, less slender body, redder facial skin, longer crest, scapulars and wing-coverts darker, less silvery, with smaller spots at tips, and immature has dark abdomen.

Coasts of SW Africa from C Namibia to SW South Africa (Cape Agulhas).

Markedly marine , occurring in cold waters of Benguela Current; does not stray > 10 km offshore or > 100 m inland. Very rarely in estuaries. Breeds on rocky coasts and islands. Tends to feed close inshore along rocky coasts, often in kelp beds.

Sedentary, with a few movements to N or E of breeding range.

Mainly slow-moving benthic prey: fish including klipfish (Clinidae), pipefish (Syngnathus), sole or loose-skinned blennies (Chalaroderma capito); invertebrates include octopuses, shrimps, amphipods, isopods and polychaetes. Feeds mainly by pursuit-diving.

Little information. Usually silent away from breeding colonies. Cackles and hisses at colony have been reported.

Laying year-round, with peak in Sept–Jan, slightly later in Namibia. Forms breeding groups of up to 150 pairs, often alongside other seabirds, or even Cape fur seals (Arctocephalus pusillus). Nests in wide variety of sites, including rocks, cliffs, bushes, small trees, kelp wracks, jetties, supports under guano platforms and wrecked ships; nest mostly of kelp and sticks lined with finer material. Normal clutch 2–3 eggs  (1–5); incubation c. 23 days (21–25); chicks naked, grow black down; fledging c. 35 days; independent at 45–60 days. Hatching success 48·2%; generally two chicks raised per successful nest. After leaving nest, chicks form crèches near the colony. Nestlings and fledglings will disperse if disturbed and often enter the water, where they are vulnerable to predation by Cape fur seals.

Not globally threatened. Currently considered Near Threatened. Restricted to W coast of S Africa, breeding at 48 localities from Walvis Bay, Namibia, to Cape Agulhas, South Africa. During 1977–1981, the population was estimated at 2665 breeding pairs. The most recent estimate is of 8700 individuals (1 Du Toit, M., Boere, G. C., Cooper, J., de Villiers, M. S., Kemper, J., Lenton, B., Petersen, S. L., Simmons, R. E., Whittington, P. A. and Byers, O. P. (2002). Conservation assessment and management plan for southern African seabirds. Workshop Report. Cape Town, South Africa, 4 – 8 February 21491492. Avian Demography Unit, University of Cape Town and the Conservation Breeding Specialist Group. Close ). Information from ten well-monitored islands off South Africa suggests that the population is stable or increasing. Human disturbance, to which the species is highly susceptible, is a major threat and mortality due to entanglement in fishing-lines at nests is also a concern. A recent major oil-spill affected some colonies. Predation by Cape fur seals, particularly of fledglings, has escalated as the seal has become abundant in the Benguela ecosystem in response to conservation measures and may affect the status of M. coronatus owing to its small global population and restricted distribution (2 David, J. H. M., Cury, P., Crawford, R. J. M., Randall, R. M., Underhill, L. G. and Meyer, M. A. (2003). Assessing conservation priorities in the Benguela ecosystem, South Africa: analysing predation by seals on threatened seabirds. Biological Conservation. 114: 289–292. Close ). Colonies at Mercury, Ichaboe, Lüderitz Bay and Possession Is are partially protected, while those at Bird I, West Coast National Park/Saldanha Bay Is, Dassen I, Robben I and Sperrgebiet are fully protected. Management practices at breeding islands currently minimize disturbance. Selective culling of Cape fur seals observed killing seabirds has occurred since 1993 (2 David, J. H. M., Cury, P., Crawford, R. J. M., Randall, R. M., Underhill, L. G. and Meyer, M. A. (2003). Assessing conservation priorities in the Benguela ecosystem, South Africa: analysing predation by seals on threatened seabirds. Biological Conservation. 114: 289–292. Close ).