Neotropic cormorant

Last updated

Neotropic cormorant
Neotropic cormorant (Nannopterum brasilianum mexicanum) Peten.jpg
N. b. mexicanum
Guatemala
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Suliformes
Family: Phalacrocoracidae
Genus: Nannopterum
Species:
N. brasilianum
Binomial name
Nannopterum brasilianum
(Gmelin, 1789)
Olivenscharbe.jpg
Range of Nannopterum brasilianum
  Accidental occurrence
  Resident
Synonyms

Phalacrocorax olivaceus(Humboldt, 1805)
Phalacrocorax pampeanus Moreno & Mercerat, 1891
Phalacrocorax vigua
Phalacrocorax brasilianus
Nannopterum olivaceus
Nannopterum vigum
Nannopterum pampeanum
Nesocarbo brasilianum
Nesocarbo olivaceus
Nesocarbo vigum
Nesocarbo pampeanum

Contents

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 indigenous name of biguá. It also breeds in the Bahamas, Cuba, and Trinidad. It can be found both on coasts (including some mangrove areas) and in inland waters. There are at least two subspecies: N. b. mexicanum from Nicaragua northwards and N. b. brasilianum further south. In Peru, the neotropic cormorant is used by the Uru people for fishing.

Taxonomy

The neotropic cormorant was documented in 1658 by the Dutch naturalist Willem Piso after travels in Brazil. [2] This formed the basis for the formal description and naming of the species by Johann Friedrich Gmelin in 1789. He placed it with the petrels in the genus Procellaria and coined the binomial name Procellaria brasiliana. [3] Many authors preferred to use Alexander von Humboldt's 1805 description of Pelecanus olivaceus because the identity of Piso's birds was considered uncertain. [4] [5] Later, ornithological authorities such as the American Ornithologists' Union began to use Phalacrocorax brasilianus after Ralph Browning argued that Piso's description and paintings do indeed refer to the neotropic cormorant. [6] [7]

The neotropic cormorant was formerly placed in the genus Phalacrocorax . A molecular phylogenetic study of the cormorants published in 2014 found that the neotropic cormorant, the double-crested cormorant, and the flightless cormorant formed a clade that was sister to the genus Leucocarbo . [8] The three species were, therefore, moved to the resurrected genus Nannopterum that had been introduced in 1899 by English ornithologist Richard Bowdler Sharpe to accommodate the flightless cormorant. [9] [10] [11] The genus name Nannopterum combines the Ancient Greek nannos meaning "dwarf" with pteron meaning "wing". [12]

Two subspecies are recognised: [11]

Description

This bird is 64 cm (25 in) long with a 100 cm (39 in) wingspan. Adult males weigh from 1.1 to 1.5 kg (2.4 to 3.3 lb), adult females 50 to 100 g (1.8 to 3.5 oz) less. Birds of the southern populations tend to be bigger than the more northerly birds. It is small and slender, especially compared to the larger, heavier-looking double-crested cormorant. It has a long tail and frequently holds its neck in an S-shape. Adult plumage is mainly black, with a yellow-brown throat patch. During breeding, white tufts appear on the sides of the head, there are scattered white filoplumes on the side of the head and the neck, and the throat patch develops a white edge. The upper wings are somewhat grayer than the rest of the body. Juveniles are brownish in color.

Behaviour

Unlike other cormorants, this bird can often be seen perching on wires.

Food and feeding

Its diet consists mainly of small fish, but will also eat tadpoles, frogs, aquatic insects (such as dragonfly nymphs), and shrimp. [13] Information about its prey is sparse, but inland birds seem to feed on small, abundant fish in ponds and sheltered inlets, less than 10 cm (3.9 in) in length, with an individual weight of a gram or two, such as Poecilia species especially the sailfin molly Poecilia latipinna. This cormorant forages for food by diving underwater, propelling itself by its feet. Its dives are brief, between 5 and 15 seconds. It is also known to forage in groups, with several birds beating the water with their wings to drive fish forward into shallows.

Breeding

Neotropic cormorants are monogamous and breed in colonies. The nest is a platform of sticks with a depression in the center circled with twigs and grass. It is built a few meters above the ground or water in bushes or trees. Up to five chalky, bluish-white eggs are laid. Most pairs lay three eggs, but the mean number hatched is less than two. The eggs soon become nest-stained. Both sexes incubate for about 2530 days, and both parents feed the young until around the 11th week. By week 12, they are independent. One brood is raised per year.

This bird is largely a permanent resident, with some birds occasionally wandering north in the warmer months.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cormorant</span> Family of aquatic birds

Phalacrocoracidae is a family of approximately 40 species of aquatic birds commonly known as cormorants and shags. Several different classifications of the family have been proposed, but in 2021 the International Ornithologists' Union (IOU) adopted a consensus taxonomy of seven genera. The great cormorant and the common shag are the only two species of the family commonly encountered in Britain and Ireland and "cormorant" and "shag" appellations have been later assigned to different species in the family somewhat haphazardly.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Double-crested cormorant</span> Species of bird

The double-crested cormorant is a member of the cormorant family of water birds. It is found near rivers and lakes and in coastal areas and is widely distributed across North America, from the Aleutian Islands in Alaska down to Florida and Mexico. Measuring 70–90 cm (28–35 in) in length, it is entirely black except for a bare patch of orange-yellow facial skin and some extra plumage that it exhibits in the breeding season when it grows a double crest in which black feathers are mingled with white. Five subspecies are recognized. It mainly eats fish and hunts by swimming and diving. Its feathers, like all cormorants, are not waterproof, and it must dry them out after spending time in the water. Once threatened by the use of DDT, the numbers of this bird have increased markedly in recent years.

<i>Phalacrocorax</i> Genus of birds

Phalacrocorax is a genus of fish-eating birds in the cormorant family Phalacrocoracidae. Members of this genus are also known as the Old World cormorants.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pelagic cormorant</span> Species of bird

The pelagic cormorant, also known as Baird's cormorant or violet-green cormorant, is a small member of the cormorant family Phalacrocoracidae. Analogous to other smallish cormorants, it is also called the pelagic shag occasionally. This seabird lives along the coasts of the northern Pacific; during winter it can also be found in the open ocean. Pelagic cormorants have relatively short wings due to their need for economical movement underwater, and consequently have the highest flight costs of any bird.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Great cormorant</span> Species of bird

The great cormorant, known as the black shag or kawau in New Zealand, formerly also known as the great black cormorant across the Northern Hemisphere, the black cormorant in Australia, and the large cormorant in India, is a widespread member of the cormorant family of seabirds. It breeds in much of the Old World, Australasia, and the Atlantic coast of North America.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">European shag</span> Species of bird

The European shag or common shag is a species of cormorant. It is the only member of the monotypic genus Gulosus. It breeds around the rocky coasts of western and southern Europe, southwest Asia and north Africa, mainly wintering in its breeding range except for the northernmost birds. In Britain this seabird is usually referred to as simply the shag. The scientific genus name derives from the Latin for glutton. The species name aristotelis commemorates the Greek philosopher Aristotle.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Australian pied cormorant</span> Species of bird

The Australian pied cormorant, also known as the pied cormorant, pied shag, or great pied cormorant, is a medium-sized member of the cormorant family. It is found around the coasts of Australasia. In New Zealand, it is usually known either as the pied shag or by its Māori name of kāruhiruhi. Older sources may refer to it as the "yellow-faced cormorant".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Reed cormorant</span> Species of bird

The reed cormorant, also known as the long-tailed cormorant, is a bird in the cormorant family Phalacrocoracidae. It breeds in much of Africa south of the Sahara, and Madagascar. It is resident but undertakes some seasonal movements.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Flightless cormorant</span> Species of flightless bird endemic to the Galapagos islands

The flightless cormorant, also known as the Galapagos cormorant, is a cormorant endemic to the Galapagos Islands, and an example of the highly unusual fauna there. It is unique in that it is the only known cormorant that has lost the ability to fly. It was placed in its own genus, Nannopterum, but then was later placed with most of the other cormorants in the genus Phalacrocorax. A 2014 study supported reclassifying it and two other American cormorant species back into Nannopterum. The IOC followed this classification in 2021.

<i>Nannopterum</i> Genus of birds

Nannopterum is a genus of cormorant comprising three species. They are found throughout the Americas, hence the common name American cormorants.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cormorant fishing</span> Fishing using trained cormorants to catch large fish

Cormorant fishing is a traditional fishing technique in which fishermen use trained cormorants to catch fish in rivers. Historically, cormorant fishing has taken place in China and Japan, as well as Greece, North Macedonia, and briefly, England and France. Sometimes known as "duck fishing," it was attested as a method used by the ancient Japanese in the Book of Sui, the official history of the Sui dynasty of China, completed in 636 CE. Though cormorant fishing was once a successful enterprise, its primary use today is to serve the tourism industry. This artisan fishing method is no longer used anywhere except southwestern China, where it is also under threat from competition from more modern methods.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Little black cormorant</span> Species of bird

The little black cormorant is a member of the cormorant family of seabirds. It is common in smaller rivers and lakes throughout most areas of Australia and northern New Zealand, where it is known as the little black shag. It is around sixty centimetres long, and is all black with blue-green eyes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Red-faced cormorant</span> Species of bird

The red-faced cormorant, red-faced shag or violet shag, is a bird species of the family Phalacrocoracidae.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rock shag</span> Species of bird

The rock shag, also known as the Magellanic cormorant, is a marine cormorant found around the southernmost coasts of South America. Its breeding range is from around Valdivia, Chile, south to Cape Horn and Tierra del Fuego, and north to Punta Tombo in Argentina. In winter it is seen further north, with individuals reaching as far as Santiago, Chile on the west coast and Uruguay on the east. The birds also breed around the coasts of the Falkland Islands.

The Phoenix petrel is a medium-sized tropical seabird, measuring up to 35 cm (1.15 ft) long, with a wingspan of 83 cm (2.72 ft). It has a dark brown upperparts plumage, white below and whitish throat. The sexes are similar.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">New Zealand king shag</span> Species of bird

The New Zealand king shag, also known as the rough-faced shag, king shag or kawau tūī, is a rare bird endemic to New Zealand. Some taxonomic authorities, including the International Ornithologists' Union, place this species in the genus Leucocarbo. Others place it in the genus Phalacrocorax.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hispaniolan euphonia</span> Species of bird

The Hispaniolan euphonia is a bird species in the finch family, Fringillidae that is endemic to the island of Hispaniola in the Caribbean.

Ascocotyle pindoramensis is a fluke in the genus Ascocotyle that occurs along the eastern coast of the Americas from Brazil to Nicaragua, Mexico, Louisiana, and Florida and doubtfully in Egypt. It occurs in the intestine of its definitive hosts. Hosts recorded in the wild include the least bittern, roseate spoonbill, great blue heron, striated heron, stripe-backed bittern, yellow-crowned night heron, black-crowned night heron, osprey, Neotropic cormorant, and marsh rice rat. In the marsh rice rat, it infected 9% of rats examined in a 1970–1972 study in the salt marsh at Cedar Key, Florida, but none in a freshwater marsh. A. pindoramensis has been experimentally introduced into the domestic duck, chicken, dog, house mouse, and golden hamster. It occurs in various body parts of its intermediate hosts—the poeciliid fish Phalloptychus januarius, Poecilia catemaconis, Poecilia mexicana, Poecilia mollienisicola, Poecilia vivipara, and a species of Xiphophorus and the cichlid Tilapia. It was first described as Pygidiopsis pindoramensis in 1928 and subsequently as Pseudoascocotyle mollienisicola in 1960. The latter species was moved to Ascocotyle in 1963, but only in 2006 it was recognized that the two represent the same species, which is now known as Ascocotyle pindoramensis. Other flukes from Argentina and Mexico that were identified as Pygidiopsis pindoramensis instead represent a different species of Pygidiopsis.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Suliformes</span> Order of birds

The order Suliformes is an order of birds recognised by the International Ornithologist's Union. Regarding the recent evidence that the traditional Pelecaniformes is polyphyletic, it has been suggested that the group be divided to reflect the true evolutionary relationships; a 2017 study indicated that they are most closely related to Otidiformes (bustards) and Ciconiiformes (storks).

<i>Urile</i> Genus of birds

Urile is a genus of birds in the family Phalacrocoracidae, commonly known as North Pacific cormorants. It contains 3 extant and 1 recently extinct species, all of which are or were found in the North Pacific Ocean.

References

  1. BirdLife International (2018). "Nannopterum brasilianus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2018: e.T22696773A133550739. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2018-2.RLTS.T22696773A133550739.en . Retrieved 27 April 2022.
  2. Piso, Willem (1658). De Indiae utriusque re naturali et medica libri quatuordecim, quorum contenta pagina sequens exhibet (in Latin). Amstelaedami: Apud Ludovicum et Danielem Elzevirios. p. 83.
  3. Gmelin, Johann Friedrich (1789). Systema naturae per regna tria naturae : secundum classes, ordines, genera, species, cum characteribus, differentiis, synonymis, locis (in Latin). Vol. 1, Part 2 (13th ed.). Lipsiae [Leipzig]: Georg. Emanuel. Beer. p. 564.
  4. von Humboldt, Alexander; Bonpland, A. (1811). Recueil d'observations de zoologie et d'anatomie comparée (in French). Vol. 1. Paris: Chez F. Schoell. p. 6. The volume is dated 1811 on the title page but the first part was issued in 1805.
  5. Mayr, Ernst; Cottrell, G. William, eds. (1979). Check-List of Birds of the World. Vol. 1 (2nd ed.). Cambridge, Massachusetts: Museum of Comparative Zoology. pp. 169–170.
  6. Browning, M. Ralph (1989). "The correct name for the Olivaceous Cormorant, 'Maiague' of Piso (1658)" (PDF). Wilson Bulletin. 101 (1): 101–106. JSTOR   4162695.
  7. "Thirty-Eighth Supplement to the American Ornithologists' Union Check-List of North American Birds". The Auk. 108 (3): 750–754. 1991. doi: 10.2307/4088140 . JSTOR   4088140.
  8. Kennedy, M.; Spencer, H.G. (2014). "Classification of the cormorants of the world". Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. 79: 249–257. doi:10.1016/j.ympev.2014.06.020. PMID   24994028.
  9. Sharpe, Richard Bowdler (1899). A Hand-List of the Genera and Species of Birds. Vol. 1. London: Trustees of the British Museum. p. 235.
  10. Chesser, R.T.; Billerman, S.M.; Burns, K.J.; Cicero, C.; Dunn, J.L.; Hernández-Baños, B.E.; Kratter, A.W.; Lovette, I.J.; Mason, N.A.; Rasmussen, P.C.; Remsen, J.V.J.; Stotz, D.F.; Winker, K. (2021). "Sixty-second Supplement to the American Ornithological Society's Check-list of North American Birds". Ornithology. 138 (ukab037). doi: 10.1093/ornithology/ukab037 .
  11. 1 2 Gill, Frank; Donsker, David; Rasmussen, Pamela, eds. (August 2022). "Storks, frigatebirds, boobies, darters, cormorants". IOC World Bird List Version 12.2. International Ornithologists' Union. Retrieved 23 November 2022.
  12. Jobling, James A. (2010). The Helm Dictionary of Scientific Bird Names. London: Christopher Helm. p. 265. ISBN   978-1-4081-2501-4.
  13. "Phalacrocorax brasilianus (Neotropic cormorant)".