The Great Cormorant is a large diving bird of Canada's Atlantic coast, where it can be observed standing on cliffs and rocky outcroppings when it's not out to sea. It hunts by diving to the bottom in relatively shallow waters and snatching fish from among the rocks.


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In Canada, the Great Cormorant is largely limited to marine habitat along the coasts of the Atlantic provinces, where it occurs year-round. There are approximately 13,000 individuals in Canada, which represents just under 1% of the global population and a very low degree of responsibility for Canada. The Canadian population of Great Cormorant has shown little change relative to 1970, based on the Seabird Colony Monitoring Program. Confidence in this assessment is high because the survey has good coverage and high precision, and is corroborated by a similar trend from the Christmas Bird Count. The national population of Great Cormorant is within its goal range.






The best source of information on the population status of Great Cormorant is the Atlantic Seabird Colony Monitoring Program (SCMP), which has high reliability because of good coverage and high precision. SCMP data indicate a long-term trend of little change in abundance since the early 1970s. The continental Christmas Bird Count (CBC) results also show little change since the 1970s. The Canadian CBC results show a large increase, likely reflecting a northward shift in wintering range instead of a population increase.
The goal for Great Cormorant is to remain at or above its average population level from 1970 to 2022, based on the Atlantic Seabird Colony Monitoring Program. Recent data show that the population is within its goal range.
Designation | Geographic Area | Status | CITATION |
---|---|---|---|
IUCN | Global | Least Concern | |
Wild Species | Canada | Vulnerable |

The Great Cormorant is a large diving bird of Canada's Atlantic coast, where it can be observed standing on cliffs and rocky outcroppings when it's not out to sea. It hunts by diving to the bottom in relatively shallow waters and snatching fish from among the rocks.
Great Cormorant is reported throughout the year in Canada. The lowest rates of observation in spring and early summer may represent a change in behaivour during the breeding season.

