It looks like a miniature cormorant, and it is easy to mistake it for a young bird of the larger species. The pygmy cormorant (Microcarbo pygmaeus, long classified as Phalacrocorax pygmeus) is the smallest member of its family in Europe. It was a rare sight in Italy until a few decades ago, while today it is very common in the Po Delta.
How to recognise the pygmy cormorant
It is about 45-55 cm long, has a wingspan of 80-90 cm and weighs between about 560 and 870 grams. For its size it has a long tail, while the bill is short and thick.
Its colouring varies with the season. In the breeding season the head turns brown with reddish highlights, the body is black with a greenish sheen, and small white feathers appear scattered over the head, neck and body, along with a short crest on the forehead. Outside this period it looks duller and less contrasted.
Differences between the pygmy cormorant and the great cormorant
Take care not to confuse it with the great cormorant. The first clue is size: the great cormorant is 80-100 cm long and weighs 2-3 kg, far more than the pygmy cormorant. The great cormorant also has a longer bill, while the pygmy cormorant has a short bill and a tail that looks longer in proportion.
Where it lives and where to see it in Italy
The pygmy cormorant prefers still or slow-flowing freshwater wetlands with plenty of vegetation, such as small lakes, ponds and deltas. Outside the nesting period it also uses brackish water. It lives mainly in south-eastern Europe and south-western Asia, and in Italy it is a regular migrant, winter visitor and breeder.
Its Italian history is recent. The first documented breeding dates back to 1981, in the Valli di Comacchio, and in the early 2000s there were still only about 120 pairs. A 2013 census estimated about 2,125 at 18 breeding sites. From the northern Adriatic it then spread to other wetlands, with the first breeding records in Lazio in 2021 and in Calabria in 2022. The Po Delta is still one of the right places to look for it, often perched on low branches near the water.
Why it spreads its wings and what it eats
It is easy to find with its wings spread in the sun. Like the great cormorant’s, its plumage is not waterproof: this makes it easier to dive and chase fish, but it then has to dry off. It feeds mainly on fish, usually small ones: they can reach about 15 cm, with an average weight of 15 grams.
How it nests
It is a gregarious species that nests in colonies, often alongside herons and cormorants. The nest is made of twigs and grasses and sits in low vegetation, on shrubs or low trees and in reedbeds, around fresh water with plenty of fish, where it can easily find food for its young. It can also adapt to man-made habitats: in the province of Brescia it has been found nesting in a former quarry.
The female usually lays 3-6 eggs, incubated by both parents for 27-30 days. The young become independent after about 70 days.
Is the pygmy cormorant a non-native species?
No. A non-native species is brought by humans outside its range, while the pygmy cormorant arrived on its own, expanding its breeding area westwards. This is why ornithologists describe it as a “recent immigrant” breeder.
Worldwide it is not considered threatened, and in Europe it is protected under Annex I of the Birds Directive. Serious problems remain, however, such as the degradation of wetlands, direct persecution and the risk of getting caught in fishing nets.
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