| Japanese cormorant | |
|---|---|
| | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Suliformes |
| Family: | Phalacrocoracidae |
| Genus: | Phalacrocorax |
| Species: | P. capillatus |
| Binomial name | |
| Phalacrocorax capillatus | |
| | |
| Blue: Extant (non-breeding), Yellow: Extant (breeding) | |
The Japanese cormorant (Phalacrocorax capillatus), also known as Temminck's cormorant, is a cormorant native to the east Palearctic.
It is migratory, and has been observed to dive to significant depths for food. [2]
It has a black body with a white throat and cheeks and a partially yellow bill. Juveniles are plainer and browner, typically so for a cormorant. It is one of the larger cormorants, somewhat similar in size to the great cormorant. They measure 81 to 92 cm (32 to 36 in) in length with a wingspan of 152 cm (60 in) and may weigh 2.3 to 3.55 kg (5.1 to 7.8 lb).
It is one of the species of cormorant that has been domesticated by fishermen in a tradition known in Japan as ukai (鵜飼) (literally meaning 'raising a cormorant'). It is called umiu (ウミウ sea cormorant) in Japanese. The Nagara River's well-known fishing masters work with this particular species to catch ayu . [3]