# Neotropic Cormorant

*Nannopterum brasilianum*

Unlike most waterbirds, their feathers are not fully waterproof; this reduced buoyancy allows them to dive deeper and more efficiently.

- **Taxonomy:** Animalia › Chordata › Aves › Suliformes › Phalacrocoracidae › Nannopterum
- **IUCN Red List status:** Least Concern
- **Population trend:** increasing
- **Biome:** wetland
- **Habitat:** Lakes, slow-moving rivers, marshes, and coastal estuaries.
- **Diet:** Primarily small fish, but also consumes crustaceans and aquatic insects.
- **Range:** Texas, Louisiana, Central America, South America, Caribbean
- **Size:** 64-73 cm in length with a 100 cm wingspan
- **Lifespan:** 12-15 years
- **Active:** diurnal
- **Threats:** Pollution, entanglement in discarded fishing gear, and habitat degradation.
- **Safe to approach?:** Harmless and generally shy. Observe from a distance of at least 15 meters, especially when they are drying their wings, as they are vulnerable during this time. If handled and bitten, clean the small puncture with soap and water to prevent infection.

## About

The neotropic cormorant or olivaceous cormorant ( Nannopterum brasilianum ) is a medium-sized cormorant found throughout the American tropics and subtropics, from the middle Rio Grande and the Gulf and Californian coasts of the United States south through Mexico and Central America to southern South America, where it is called by the Indian name of biguá . It also breeds on the Bahamas, Cuba and Trinidad. It can be found both at coasts (including some mangrove areas) and on...

## Sources

- Plate: https://gaia-dex.com/species/bd7e2140-1136-4d04-a629-f0f485e95979
- iNaturalist: https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/1289601
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neotropic_cormorant
- Conservation status: IUCN Red List category, as recorded by Gaia-Dex
- Photo: https://inaturalist-open-data.s3.amazonaws.com/photos/13246373/medium.jpg (Vladimir Rebellón Palmezano, CC-BY, via iNaturalist)

Habitat, diet, size and similar notes are AI-written summaries; check them against the linked sources before relying on them.