Cormorants

Brandt's Cormorant

Pinselkormoran

Urile penicillatus

Cormorants1 photoFirst seen: 10 August 2026

Brandt's Cormorant is a large marine cormorant of the Pacific coast. Breeding adults show blue throat skin and a pale buff border around the throat. It dives for fish and squid in coastal waters, often near areas of strong upwelling. The species breeds in colonies on rocky islands, cliffs and exposed headlands. Its build is heavier than that of the Pelagic Cormorant but slimmer than that of the Double-crested Cormorant.

ID tip: Look for the pale buff border around the throat pouch, a long bill and a neck that is heavier than Pelagic Cormorant but straighter and slimmer than Double-crested Cormorant. Breeding adults also show blue eyes and blue throat skin.

First seen: 10 August 2026 · Port Townsend–Coupeville Ferry · 1 photo in the collection.

Places in my records

Locations where this species is supported by a dated first record, an unambiguous single-place outing or a reviewed assignment.

Port Townsend–Coupeville Ferry10 August 2026

Family: Cormorants (Phalacrocoracidae)
Length: 70–79 cm
Wingspan: ~108 cm
Regional status: Year-round resident (Pacific Northwest, USA)
Conservation: Least Concern LCIUCN Red List · retrieved 27 August 2026
Habitat: Rocky marine coasts, inshore waters, kelp beds and coastal islands
Diet: Fish, squid and crustaceans caught while diving

Built from verified occurrence records, not drawn by hand. Core range = the countries holding 99% of all records; the rest are scattered or vagrant records. Record counts track where people watch birds as much as where the birds are, so the map shows presence, not abundance. Data: GBIF (CC BY 4.0). Basemap: Natural Earth.

Brandt's Cormorant

Places in my records

Selected photographs