Least Concern Birds

White-breasted Cormorant

Phalacrocorax lucidus

White-breasted Cormorant hunts fish in African freshwater lakes and coasts.

Scientific name	Phalacrocorax lucidus
Swahili name	Mkorongo mweupe wa kifua
Conservation status	Least Concern
Class	Aves
Order	Pelecaniformes
Family	Phalacrocoracidae
Size	Male: approximately 1.2-1.5 kg; Female: approximately 1.0-1.3 kg

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How to identify

Distinct white breast; body plumage black with green metallic sheen; yellow skin on face and base of bill; long, hooked bill; tail feathers long and wedge-shaped

Habitat

Freshwater lakes, rivers, marshes, and coastal waters

Diet

Carnivorous, primarily feeding on fish and aquatic invertebrates

When it is active

Diurnal, active frequently during the day

Where it lives

Mainly distributed in eastern and southern Africa, including Kenya and the Masai Mara region

How to spot it

Observe near water at dawn or dusk, note its wing-spreading behavior for drying, use telephoto lenses to capture details

Photography tips

Use natural lighting, focus on capturing wing-spreading and diving feeding moments, choose backgrounds of water surface or blue sky for best effect

Threats

Habitat destruction, water pollution, and human disturbance

Similar species

Common Cormorant (Phalacrocorax carbo), distinguished by the white breast in White-breasted Cormorant, whereas the Common Cormorant has a darker breast

📖 how to spot the white breasted cormorant on safari