Flightless Cormorant
VU

Flightless Cormorant

Phalacrocorax harrisi

Unknown

Photo: Wikimedia Commons (CC) via https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flightless_cormorant

Overview

A detailed profile for this species is sourced from the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species as assessments become available.

The Flightless Cormorant faces significant vulnerability due to its extremely restricted range, being endemic only to the Galápagos Islands with a population of fewer than 2,000 individuals. Climate change poses the greatest long-term threat through El Niño events that drastically reduce marine food availability, causing population crashes of up to 50%. Introduced predators like cats and dogs threaten nesting colonies, while human disturbance from increasing tourism can disrupt breeding behavior and cause nest abandonment.

Threat summary

Habitat

The Flightless Cormorant inhabits rocky coastlines and shallow marine waters around Fernandina and Isabela islands in the Galápagos archipelago. It nests on lava rock shores and forages in nutrient-rich upwelling waters within 100 meters of the coast, diving to depths of up to 15 meters to hunt fish, eels, and octopus.

MARINE· majorTERRESTRIAL· major

Other threatened species in Phalacrocoracidae

European ShagVU

European Shag

Phalacrocorax aristotelis

Unknown
Black ShagVU

Black Shag

Phalacrocorax carbo

Unknown

Frequently asked questions

Why is Flightless Cormorant classified as Vulnerable?
Flightless Cormorant is classified as Vulnerable because the population is declining and the species faces a high risk of extinction in the medium-term future if current pressures continue. The Flightless Cormorant faces significant vulnerability due to its extremely restricted range, being endemic only to the Galápagos Islands with a population of fewer than 2,000 individuals. Climate change poses the greatest long-term threat through El Niño events that drastically reduce marine food availability, causing population crashes of up to 50%. Introduced predators like cats and dogs threaten nesting colonies, while human disturbance from increasing tourism can disrupt breeding behavior and cause nest abandonment.
Where does Flightless Cormorant live?
Flightless Cormorant occurs in across multiple regions. Country-level distribution data is sourced from the IUCN Red List and cross-referenced with GBIF occurrences.
What are the main threats to Flightless Cormorant?
The main threats to Flightless Cormorant are ai-1, ai-2, ai-3, and ai-4. The full IUCN-classified threat record for this species is detailed on the species page.

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