White-breasted Cormorant
Encyclopedia
The White-breasted Cormorant (Phalacrocorax lucidus) is a member of the cormorant family Phalacrocoracidae. It is sometimes treated as a subspecies
of the Great Cormorant
, in which case it is referred to as Phalacrocorax carbo lucidus. However some authorities (e.g. Sibley & Monroe, 1990, Sinclair, Hockey and Tarboton, 2002) retain its original treatment as an allospecies in the P. carbo superspecific group, in which case it is referred to as Phalacrocorax lucidus. A black-necked form originally classified as Phalacrocorax patricki or Phalacrocorax carbo patricki is now regarded as synonymous with this taxon.
The White-breasted Cormorant is the only form of Great Cormorant found in sub-Sahara
n Africa. It has a wide distribution; on the west coast from the Cape Verde Islands to Guinea-Bissau
and from Angola
to the Cape of Good Hope
and northwards on the east coast to Mozambique
. There are also inland populations in Nigeria
and around Lake Chad
, and in east and southern Africa from Sudan
southwards. It can be found around the Red Sea
, where it is sometimes referred to as the Red Sea White-Breasted Cormorant.
As its name suggests, the 80–100 cm long White-breasted Cormorant has a white neck and breast when adult. In other respects it is a large cormorant generally resembling the Great Cormorant.
The Black-faced Cormorant
, Phalacrocorax fuscescens, is also sometimes known as the White-breasted Cormorant.
Subspecies
Subspecies in biological classification, is either a taxonomic rank subordinate to species, ora taxonomic unit in that rank . A subspecies cannot be recognized in isolation: a species will either be recognized as having no subspecies at all or two or more, never just one...
of the Great Cormorant
Great Cormorant
The Great Cormorant , known as the Great Black Cormorant across the Northern Hemisphere, the Black Cormorant in Australia and the Black Shag further south in New Zealand, is a widespread member of the cormorant family of seabirds...
, in which case it is referred to as Phalacrocorax carbo lucidus. However some authorities (e.g. Sibley & Monroe, 1990, Sinclair, Hockey and Tarboton, 2002) retain its original treatment as an allospecies in the P. carbo superspecific group, in which case it is referred to as Phalacrocorax lucidus. A black-necked form originally classified as Phalacrocorax patricki or Phalacrocorax carbo patricki is now regarded as synonymous with this taxon.
Sahara
The Sahara is the world's second largest desert, after Antarctica. At over , it covers most of Northern Africa, making it almost as large as Europe or the United States. The Sahara stretches from the Red Sea, including parts of the Mediterranean coasts, to the outskirts of the Atlantic Ocean...
n Africa. It has a wide distribution; on the west coast from the Cape Verde Islands to Guinea-Bissau
Guinea-Bissau
The Republic of Guinea-Bissau is a country in West Africa. It is bordered by Senegal to the north, and Guinea to the south and east, with the Atlantic Ocean to its west....
and from Angola
Angola
Angola, officially the Republic of Angola , is a country in south-central Africa bordered by Namibia on the south, the Democratic Republic of the Congo on the north, and Zambia on the east; its west coast is on the Atlantic Ocean with Luanda as its capital city...
to the Cape of Good Hope
Cape of Good Hope
The Cape of Good Hope is a rocky headland on the Atlantic coast of the Cape Peninsula, South Africa.There is a misconception that the Cape of Good Hope is the southern tip of Africa, because it was once believed to be the dividing point between the Atlantic and Indian Oceans. In fact, the...
and northwards on the east coast to Mozambique
Mozambique
Mozambique, officially the Republic of Mozambique , is a country in southeastern Africa bordered by the Indian Ocean to the east, Tanzania to the north, Malawi and Zambia to the northwest, Zimbabwe to the west and Swaziland and South Africa to the southwest...
. There are also inland populations in Nigeria
Nigeria
Nigeria , officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a federal constitutional republic comprising 36 states and its Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The country is located in West Africa and shares land borders with the Republic of Benin in the west, Chad and Cameroon in the east, and Niger in...
and around Lake Chad
Lake Chad
Lake Chad is a historically large, shallow, endorheic lake in Africa, whose size has varied over the centuries. According to the Global Resource Information Database of the United Nations Environment Programme, it shrank as much as 95% from about 1963 to 1998; yet it also states that "the 2007 ...
, and in east and southern Africa from Sudan
Sudan
Sudan , officially the Republic of the Sudan , is a country in North Africa, sometimes considered part of the Middle East politically. It is bordered by Egypt to the north, the Red Sea to the northeast, Eritrea and Ethiopia to the east, South Sudan to the south, the Central African Republic to the...
southwards. It can be found around the Red Sea
Red Sea
The Red Sea is a seawater inlet of the Indian Ocean, lying between Africa and Asia. The connection to the ocean is in the south through the Bab el Mandeb strait and the Gulf of Aden. In the north, there is the Sinai Peninsula, the Gulf of Aqaba, and the Gulf of Suez...
, where it is sometimes referred to as the Red Sea White-Breasted Cormorant.
As its name suggests, the 80–100 cm long White-breasted Cormorant has a white neck and breast when adult. In other respects it is a large cormorant generally resembling the Great Cormorant.
The Black-faced Cormorant
Black-faced Cormorant
The Black-faced Cormorant , also known as the Black-faced Shag, is a medium-sized member of the cormorant family. Upperparts, including facial skin and bill, are black, with white underparts. It is endemic to coastal regions of southern Australia.-Ecology:The Black-faced-Cormorant feeds largely on...
, Phalacrocorax fuscescens, is also sometimes known as the White-breasted Cormorant.