Great Cormorant

The great cormorant is a widespread member of the cormorant family that breeds across much of the Old World, Australasia and the Atlantic coast of North America. It is a large bird, but size varies widely across its range, with reported weights from 1.5 to 5.3 kg, and males are typically larger and heavier than females. Six subspecies are accepted (Wikipedia, general species account).

It goes by many local names, including black shag in New Zealand, black cormorant in Australia and large cormorant in India. The Japanese cormorant is so closely related that genetic evidence suggests it may be embedded within it. Nationally Near Threatened (Sri Lanka National Red List 2012).