California is home to four species of cormorants, with three widespread along the coast and one much more localized. Brandt’s and Pelagic Cormorants are characteristic Pacific Coast species closely associated with marine waters and rocky shorelines, while the Double-crested Cormorant occurs across both coastal and inland aquatic habitats. The Neotropic Cormorant remains less common but has become increasingly regular in southern and southeastern California as its U.S. range expands. This guide covers all four species, with practical notes on identification, habitat, seasonal occurrence, and where to look for them across the state.
Double-crested Cormorant
Nannopterum auritum
- Identification: Large, dark cormorant with a heavy body, long kinked neck, thin hooked bill, yellow-orange facial skin, and mostly brown-black to blackish plumage.
- Where found: Widespread year-round along the entire California coast and on inland waters, with major breeding areas in northern coastal California and the northeastern counties and broader distribution in winter.
- How to spot: Look for a low-floating bird that dives for fish, rests on rocks, jetties, wharfs, trees, or other exposed perches, and often holds its wings spread after fishing.
- Conservation status: Least Concern (IUCN); common in California, but nesting colonies remain vulnerable to human disturbance, habitat loss, and waterborne contaminants.
The Double-crested Cormorant is California’s most widespread cormorant across both coastal and inland waters. It measures 70 to 90 centimeters (27.6 to 35.4 inches) in length and has a heavy body, small head, long kinked or S-shaped neck, and thin, strongly hooked bill. Adults are mostly brown-black to blackish, with yellow-orange skin on the face and throat that provides a reliable field mark throughout the year. The body sits low in the water, often with only the head and sinuous neck clearly visible while swimming.
Double-crested Cormorants are usually identified by posture and behavior as much as by plumage. Birds swim low before diving from the surface to pursue fish underwater, and they frequently rest on offshore rocks, islands, cliffs, jetties, wharfs, trees, and other exposed sites. They regularly hold their wings spread after feeding to dry their wettable feathers. Flight is direct and steady with regular wingbeats, and flocks often travel in lines or shallow V-formations. The species is generally quiet away from colonies, where deep guttural calls may be heard. Its diet consists mainly of fish, although aquatic insects, crustaceans, amphibians, and other aquatic prey are also taken.
The Double-crested Cormorant occurs year-round along the entire California coast and on inland lakes, where it uses fresh, salt, and estuarine waters. Most breeding occurs along the coast from Cape Mendocino northward and around lakes and marshes in Siskiyou, Modoc, and Lassen Counties, with smaller numbers in San Francisco Bay, the Central Valley, and along the lower Colorado River. Birds of the mountains and northeastern plateau are primarily summer residents and generally leave between November and March, while coastal and southern areas receive additional birds during fall and winter. From August through May, the species is fairly common to locally very common along the coast, in estuaries, and around salt ponds, and it also occurs widely through the Central Valley, at the Salton Sea, and along Colorado River reservoirs.
The Double-crested Cormorant remains widespread in California, although abundance varies considerably by region and season. Numbers are generally lower during summer away from nesting colonies, and breeding numbers have declined at the Salton Sea. The species requires relatively undisturbed nesting sites beside water and uses islands, cliff ledges, rugged slopes, and live or dead trees. Human disturbance and habitat destruction have caused the abandonment of nesting colonies in California, while persistent pesticides and other contaminants in aquatic environments can reduce nesting success.
Brandt’s Cormorant
Urile penicillatus
- Identification: Medium-sized cormorant with dark brownish black plumage, a relatively short tail, blue gular pouch, blue eyes in breeding plumage, and wispy white head, neck, and shoulder plumes.
- Where found: Widespread year-round along the California coast, especially around rocky shores, islands, headlands, nearshore waters, and the outer portions of large bays and estuaries.
- How to spot: Look for dark cormorants flying low over the ocean, gathering in feeding flocks near schooling fish, or nesting on coastal rocks and islands; breeding adults show a vivid blue throat patch.
- Conservation status: Least Concern (IUCN); common in California, but numbers fluctuate with marine conditions, and disturbance at colonies and mortality in fishing nets remain concerns.
The Brandt’s Cormorant is one of California’s characteristic marine cormorants and reaches some of its highest breeding concentrations along the state’s coast. It measures 70 to 79 centimeters (27.6 to 31.1 inches) in length and has a heavy body, long neck, fairly long hooked bill, large webbed feet, and a medium-length to relatively short tail. Adults are dark brownish black to blackish, while breeding birds show a distinctive blue gular pouch, blue eyes, and wispy white plumes on the head, neck, and shoulders. Its structure falls between the heavier, kink-necked Double-crested Cormorant and the slimmer Pelagic Cormorant.
Brandt’s Cormorants are strongly marine birds that swim low, dive in pursuit of fish, and fly rapidly over the ocean with regular wingbeats and little gliding. They feed mainly on fish and occasionally take squid and other invertebrates. Birds forage alone or gather in dense flocks where schooling fish become concentrated, sometimes alongside other cormorants, pelicans, grebes, and marine mammals. Large feeding aggregations can form quickly, and cormorants also gather in California coastal bays during herring spawning events. The species is generally quiet, with low hoarse croaks and other harsh calls heard mainly around nesting colonies.
The Brandt’s Cormorant is a widespread year-round resident along the California coast, with particularly important breeding concentrations in central California, including the Farallon Islands, and on the Channel Islands in southern California. Colonies occupy rocky islands, islets, headlands, cliffs, and other coastal sites, and the species forages mainly in nearshore marine waters around rocky shores, reefs, and kelp beds. From May through November, birds in California occur in coastal waters mostly within 20 kilometers (12.4 miles) of breeding colonies and rarely more than 10 kilometers (6.2 miles) offshore. Seasonal movements complicate this resident pattern: many central and northern California birds disperse northward after breeding, while southern California receives a winter increase as birds shift along the Pacific Coast.
The Brandt’s Cormorant remains common in California, but breeding numbers can fluctuate substantially with changing ocean conditions. The Farallon Islands have historically supported one of the state’s most important colonies, while the Channel Islands also hold major breeding concentrations. Severe El Niño events can cause sharp declines in breeding numbers, which reflects the species’ close dependence on productive waters of the California Current. Human disturbance at colonies can expose eggs and young to heavy predation by gulls, crows, and ravens, and adults are sometimes killed in fishing nets.
Pelagic Cormorant
Urile pelagicus
- Identification: Medium-small, slender cormorant with a thin straight neck, small head, slender bill, long tail, glossy dark plumage, red facial skin in breeding season, and white flank patches on breeding adults.
- Where found: Widespread year-round along rocky coasts of northern and central California, with breeding sites south to the northern Channel Islands and increased numbers along the southern coast in winter.
- How to spot: Look for a slim cormorant flying low with a straight, outstretched neck, diving near rocky shores and kelp edges, or resting on cliffs, ledges, and other waterside perches.
- Conservation status: Least Concern (IUCN); fairly common along the California coast, but numbers fluctuate with ocean conditions, and disturbance can increase losses of eggs and chicks at colonies.
The Pelagic Cormorant is the smallest and slimmest cormorant in California and a characteristic bird of rocky marine shorelines. It measures 51 to 76 centimeters (20.1 to 29.9 inches) in length and has a narrow body, small head, thin bill, very slender neck, and relatively long tail. Adults are glossy black with greenish, violet-bronze, and purple tones, while breeding birds develop dark reddish facial skin and conspicuous white flank patches. Its delicate build and straight-necked profile help distinguish it from the heavier Brandt’s and Double-crested Cormorants.
Pelagic Cormorants are usually identified by their slender shape, rapid flight, and close association with rocky shores. Birds fly low over the water with continuous wingbeats and hold the head, neck, and tail in a nearly straight profile. They forage by pursuit-diving and are often seen alone or in pairs, although they sometimes join larger feeding concentrations. Along California, birds feed around rocky reefs and the seaward fringes of kelp forests, where they take mainly fish such as rockfish and sculpins, together with marine worms, crustaceans, and other invertebrates. They regularly rest and dry their plumage on coastal rocks, cliffs, ledges, and other exposed perches.
The Pelagic Cormorant is a fairly common year-round resident along rocky mainland and island coasts from northern California south to San Luis Obispo County and Santa Barbara Island. More than half of California’s breeding birds nest at mainland sites between the Oregon border and Point Conception, while offshore colonies extend from the Farallon Islands south through the northern Channel Islands to Santa Barbara Island. The species breeds mainly on steep rocky cliffs from April into August or September and generally remains close to shore, although it also occurs locally in the outer portions of estuaries. Many birds remain near their nesting areas throughout the year, while some disperse south after breeding. Protected waters such as San Francisco, Monterey, Drakes, and Tomales Bays can hold large numbers in winter, and birds become more numerous from Santa Barbara County south to San Diego County from late September through late April.
The Pelagic Cormorant remains widespread along the California coast, with the largest breeding concentrations in northern California and progressively smaller numbers farther south. Its overall California distribution has changed little historically, but individual colonies and breeding numbers can vary substantially between years. El Niño events have caused poor reproduction and increased adult mortality at the Farallon Islands, which shows the species’ sensitivity to changing marine conditions. Gulls and crows prey on eggs and chicks, and human disturbance can increase these losses when adults are frightened from their nests.
Neotropic Cormorant
Nannopterum brasilianum
- Identification: Small, slim cormorant with mostly black plumage, a long neck, long wedge-shaped tail, thin hooked bill, emerald green eye, and a pale yellow gular pouch outlined by a white V-shaped border.
- Where found: Occurs locally in southern and southeastern California, especially around the Imperial Valley and Salton Sea, with additional records from coastal Southern California.
- How to spot: Look for a small, long-tailed cormorant swimming or perching near Double-crested Cormorants, with a smaller pale yellow throat patch bordered by a narrow white V.
- Conservation status: Least Concern (IUCN); still rare and localized in California, but records have increased as the species has expanded its range in the United States.
The Neotropic Cormorant is a localized but increasingly recorded cormorant in California, where it occurs near the northwestern edge of its principal range. It measures 61 to 71 centimeters (24.0 to 28.0 inches) in length and has a slim body, long neck, broad rounded wings, long wedge-shaped tail, and thin hooked bill. Adults are mostly black, with an emerald green eye and a pale yellow gular pouch bordered by a narrow white V-shaped line. The species appears noticeably smaller and longer-tailed than the much more widespread Double-crested Cormorant.
Neotropic Cormorants are usually identified by their compact size, long tail, low swimming posture, and distinctive throat pattern. Birds pursue fish underwater and regularly rest on trees, posts, pilings, wires, islands, and other exposed sites, often with their wings spread after feeding. They occasionally make short plunge-dives from just above the water, an unusual behavior among cormorants. The diet consists mainly of fish, with shrimp and other aquatic prey also taken elsewhere within the species’ range. In California, careful comparison with nearby Double-crested Cormorants can be particularly useful for detecting this smaller and less familiar species.
In California, the Neotropic Cormorant remains localized mainly in the southern and southeastern parts of the state. Records have increased particularly around the Imperial Valley and Salton Sea region, while recent observations also occur regularly in coastal Southern California, including San Diego, Orange, and Los Angeles counties. Birds have been recorded during all seasons, although recent observations are especially numerous in late summer and early fall. The species uses inland and coastal aquatic habitats elsewhere in its range, including lakes, reservoirs, rivers, marshes, ponds, estuaries, and sheltered coastal waters. No established California breeding population is documented.
The Neotropic Cormorant remains much less widespread and routinely encountered in California than the state’s other regularly occurring cormorants. Its increasing occurrence reflects a broader expansion of the species within the United States, where wanderers now appear widely beyond its traditional southern range. California records have become substantially more frequent, particularly in the southeast, but available information does not yet indicate that this increase has resulted in an established breeding population within the state. Continued records will help show whether the species remains primarily a regular wanderer or becomes a more permanent component of California’s cormorant fauna.
Where and When to See Cormorants in California
California offers excellent opportunities to see cormorants throughout the year, especially along the coast. Brandt’s and Pelagic Cormorants are strongly associated with marine habitats, rocky shores, islands, and nearshore waters, while Double-crested Cormorants occur much more broadly along the coast and across inland lakes, rivers, reservoirs, and wetlands. Seasonal movements increase numbers in many coastal areas during fall and winter, while spring and summer provide the best opportunities to observe breeding colonies.
The Neotropic Cormorant remains the least widespread of California’s four cormorants but has become increasingly regular in the southern and southeastern parts of the state. The Imperial Valley and Salton Sea region are particularly important, with additional records along the Southern California coast. Together, these four species range from familiar year-round residents to a localized newcomer whose growing presence adds another dimension to California’s diverse cormorant fauna.
For a broader perspective, see our guide to the types of cormorants in North America, and explore the Birds of California and Birds of the United States pages for additional regional and national bird guides.
