Red-faced Cormorant

The Red-faced Cormorant, also known as the Red-faced Shag or Violet Shag, is a striking bird with glossy plumage that shimmers in a deep greenish-blue hue. During the breeding season, it sports a double crest and white plumes on its flanks, neck, and rump. The bird's name is derived from the bright orange or red skin around its eyes and lores, which is less vivid outside the breeding season but still distinctive. Its legs and feet are a brownish black, and it has a robust build with wings spanning 25 to 29 cm.

Identification Tips

Adult Red-faced Cormorants can be identified by their glossy greenish-blue plumage, which turns purplish or bronze on the back and sides. The bright red facial skin is a key feature for identification, especially during the breeding season. Males are generally larger than females, with females having slightly shorter wings.

Habitat

This species is found in marine environments, often nesting on cliffs or rocky outcrops along coastlines.

Distribution

The Red-faced Cormorant's range extends from the eastern tip of Hokkaidō in Japan, across the northern Korean peninsula, through the Kuril Islands, the southern tip of the Kamchatka Peninsula, the Aleutian Arc, to the Alaska Peninsula and Gulf of Alaska.

Behaviour

The Red-faced Cormorant is known to breed more successfully than the Pelagic Cormorant when they nest alongside each other. It is currently increasing in numbers in the easterly parts of its range.

Breeding

During the breeding season, this cormorant is a sight to behold with its double crest and white plumes. It is of conservation concern, with efforts being made to better understand its breeding habits and success rates.

Diet and Feeding

A bottom feeder by nature, the Red-faced Cormorant primarily consumes cottids. Adults face few predators, but river otters, corvids, bald eagles, and golden eagles may pose a threat. Gulls and corvids are known to prey on eggs and chicks.

Conservation status

The Red-faced Cormorant is currently listed as Least Concern by the IUCN, but it is considered a species of conservation concern due to the limited knowledge about its population dynamics and ecology.