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Home/Species/ Brandt's Cormorant

Urile penicillatus

(Brandt, 1837)

Brandt's Cormorant

G5Secure Found in 10 roadless areas NatureServe Explorer →
G5SecureGlobal Rank
Least concernIUCN
Brandt's Cormorant (Urile penicillatus). Photo by U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, Public Domain (U.S. Government Work), via ECOS.
U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, https://www.usa.gov/government-works
Identity
Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.100666
Element CodeABNFD01040
Record TypeSPECIES
ClassificationSpecies
Classification StatusStandard
Name CategoryVertebrate Animal
IUCNLeast concern
Endemicoccurs (regularly, as a native taxon) in multiple nations
KingdomAnimalia
PhylumCraniata
ClassAves
OrderSuliformes
FamilyPhalacrocoracidae
GenusUrile
Synonyms
Phalacrocorax penicillatus(Brandt, 1837)
Other Common Names
Cormoran de Brandt (FR) Cormorán de Brandt (ES)
Concept Reference
American Ornithologists' Union (AOU). 1998. Check-list of North American birds. Seventh edition. American Ornithologists' Union, Washington, D.C. [as modified by subsequent supplements and corrections published in The Auk]. Also available online: http://www.aou.org/.
Taxonomic Comments
Urile and Nannopterum were formerly synonymized with Phalacrocorax (e.g., AOU 1983, 1998), but genetic data (Kennedy and Spencer 2014, Kennedy et al. 2019) show deep divergences within Phalacrocorax largely congruent with differences based on osteological data (Worthy 2011 (AOS 2021).
Conservation Status
Rank MethodExpertise without calculation
Review Date2016-04-09
Change Date1996-11-20
Edition Date1999-11-20
Edition AuthorsKOENEN, M.; revisions by D.W. MEHLMAN
Range Extent20,000-2,500,000 square km (about 8000-1,000,000 square miles)
Number of Occurrences21 - 80
Rank Reasons
Population stable and increasing in some parts.
Range Extent Comments
BREEDING: coastally along Pacific coast from southern Alaska (very local, Prince William Sound and Hazy Island near Coronation Island) and Vancouver Island and Washington (small, local populations) south to Baja California, including Pacific coastal islands of Baja; local on some islands in the Gulf of California (San Pedro Martir, Salsipuedes, and Roca Blanca) (Johnsgard 1993). NON-BREEDING: mostly near nesting areas. Common to very abundant as a non-breeder in southern British Columbia (Campbell et al. 1990). Extends north to Prince Williams Sound, Alaska and to southern Baja California.
Occurrences Comments
Colonial nester along the Pacific Coast of North America. Sixty-six major colonies identified by Wallace and Wallace (1998).
Threat Impact Comments
PESTICIDES: DDE, DDT, PCB, EDDT, dieldrin, oxychlordane, heptachloroepoxide, mercury, selenium, PCDDs, PCDFs, and EPCB found in eggs; not correlated with eggshell thining or mortality (Wallace and Wallace 1998). Chick with deformed bill typical of high concentrations of pollutants found on Farallon Island, California (Hobson and Carter 1988, cited in Wallace and Wallace 1998). Regional variation of DDT and DDE residue levels found in prey. Deaths of some captive birds were attributed to high concentrations of DDT in food source. OILING: Small numbers died after oil spills. Oiling damages plumage that results in hypothermia or waterlogging. Ingested oil has variety of lethal and non-lethal effects. Over 50 percent of recovered birds 1971-1985 were suspected to have died of oiling. Numbers may be higher due to tendency of this species to sink. FISHING NETS: Mortality from coastal fishing nets may have exceeded sustainable levels in Monterey, California in early 1980s (King 1984 cited in Wallace and Wallace 1998). HABITAT: Local declines or disappearance due to loss of habitat. DISTURBANCE: Vulnerable to disturbance by boats, low-flying aircraft, dogs, or humans especially during incubation period. Mortality has resulted from military bombing practice and missile tests on some California Channel Islands. Flushing adults may break eggs and increase chance of nest predation. Repeated disturbance may cause total colony desertion. Local decline attributed to disturbance caused by collection of common murre (URIA AALGE) eggs from 1850s to 1900s (Ainley and Lewis 1974, cited in Wallace and Wallace). Incidental injury and death reported by sportsfisherman (Wallace and Wallace 1998). PREDATION: Nest predators include western gull (LARUS OCCIDENTALIS), Heerman's gull (LARUS HERMANNI), northwestern crow (CORVUS CAURINUS), common raven (CORVUS CORAX). Western gull may prey on deserted eggs or young. Rats (RATTUS spp.) known to take eggs on Isla San Esteban (Wallace and Wallace 1998). EL NINO-SOUTHERN OSCILLATION (ENSO): Reduced reproductive output during and after periods of ENSO. ENSO occurs when warm waters prevail causing food levels to decline. Will abandon nest sites mid-season if food sources decline. In 1983, all nests were abandoned at two Oregon colonies and at least 49 percent of nests failed or had reduced fledgling success at another colony (Hodder and Graybill 1985, cited in Wallace and Wallace 1998). Periods of high mortality also attributed to food shortages related to ENSO. Additional reported deaths due to poisoning after ingesting fish affected by red tide (the dinoflagellate GYMNODINIUM BREVE) or northern anchovies containing valves of the diatom PSEUDONITZSCHIA AUSTRALIS. Also, one death reported to lodging of a plainfin midshipman in the throat. COMPETITION: Expanding fisheries industry and increase in the California Sea Lion (ZALOPHUS CALIFORNIANUS) populations may be suppressing recovery from effects of 1982-1983 EL NINO SOUTHERN OCCILATION (ENSO). Expansion of groundfish fisheries may reduce food availability to cormorants (Wallace and Wallace 1998). PARASITISM: Not known to occur.
Ecology & Habitat

Habitat

Mainly inshore coastal zone, especially in areas having kelp beds; also around some offshore islands; less commonly, inshore on brackish bays; in winter, mostly around sheltered inlets and other quiet waters (Palmer 1962, AOU 1983, Johnsgard 1993). Typically nests on flat or gently sloping surfaces on tops of rocky islands along coast, favoring protected leeward sides of islands; frequently nests with other sea birds; may sometimes use wider ledges of mainland cliffs. Nest is built on ground by both sexes, may be re-used in subsequent year.

Ecology

Gathers in flocks in feeding areas. Male establishes territory in immediate area of nest. In winter in California, made 55-km round trips between roost and feeding area (see Johnsgard 1993). Increased sea surface temperatures, such as those associated with El Nino events, were correlated with decreases in nesting populations in Washington (Wilson 1991). Gulls commonly prey on eggs and chicks.

Reproduction

Egg laying occurs mainly in June in British Columbia, late May and June in northern California, mid-April to early July in central California, and late February to mid-June in southern California (Johnsgard 1993). Both parents, in turn, incubate 3-6 (usually 3-4) eggs. Incubation lasts 28-32 days. Nestlings altricial. Fledging occurs at about 40-42 days. Single brooded but some lay replacement clutch if first clutch is lost. On Farallon Islands, females first bred at modal age of 2 years (mostly 2-5 years), males at 4 years (mostly 3-5 years); mate fidelity is low; the most successful individuals fledged 10-20 chicks over their lifetime; all adults skipped breeding at least one year during their reproductive lifetime; food availability affected many reproductive parameters; reproductive success varied considerably among years (Boekelheide and Ainley 1989).
Terrestrial Habitats
Bare rock/talus/scree
Other Nations (2)
United StatesN5
ProvinceRankNative
WashingtonS3B,S4NYes
AlaskaS1BYes
OregonS4Yes
CaliforniaSNRYes
CanadaN1B,N4N,N4M
ProvinceRankNative
British ColumbiaS1B,S4NYes
Threat Assessments
ThreatScopeSeverityTiming
11 - Climate change & severe weatherUnknownUnknownHigh (continuing)

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Roadless Areas (10)
California (3)
AreaForestAcres
Chalk PeakLos Padres National Forest7,472
JuncalLos Padres National Forest12,289
Malduce BuckhornLos Padres National Forest14,177
Oregon (5)
AreaForestAcres
TahkenitchSiuslaw National Forest5,799
TenmileSiuslaw National Forest10,818
Umpqua SpitSiuslaw National Forest2,090
Umpqua SpitSiuslaw National Forest2,090
WoahinkSiuslaw National Forest5,309
Texas (1)
AreaForestAcres
Big CreekNational Forests in Texas1,447
Washington (1)
AreaForestAcres
Madison CreekOlympic National Forest1,223
References (29)
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