Phalacrocorax pelagicus
Silhouette: L. Shyamal · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~30%
The pelagic cormorant (Urile pelagicus), 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.
It was formerly classified in the genus Phalacrocorax, but a 2014 study supported reclassifying it and several other Pacific cormorant species into the genus Urile. The IOC followed this classification in 2021. This is a smallish cormorant which measures 25 to 35 in (64 to 89 cm) in length, with a wingspan of about 3.3 ft (1.0 m) and a weight of 52–86 oz (1,500–2,400 g) when fully grown. Adults in nonbreeding plumage are all-black with a metallic iridescence. In breeding plumage they grow two short crests (one on top of the head and one at the nape), white thighs, and scattered white filoplumes on the head and neck. The long thin bill and the large... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kenai Fjords National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Great Bear Rainforest | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 3 | Olympic National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 4 | Pacific Rim National Park Reserve | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 5 | Channel Islands National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 6 | Redwood National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 7 | Katmai National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 8 | Wrangell-St. Elias National Park | 🇺🇸 United States |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Vancouver | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 2 | Seattle | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | San Francisco | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 4 | San Diego | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 5 | Busan | 🇰🇷 South Korea | |
| 6 | Los Angeles | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 7 | Tokyo | 🇯🇵 Japan |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Pelagic Cormorant sighting in San Francisco on a given day, based on 4,764 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 129th most-seen of the 375 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 10%, and over a week to about 30%, if each day is a fresh chance.
October to March
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Pelagic Cormorant in San Francisco on a given day, against under 5% in April to September, the lowest months. Those are among San Francisco's wettest months, with about 75 mm of rain a month against almost none in July.
Between 1 and 4 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Pelagic Cormorant sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
3rd of 7
Of the 7 cities where we can rate Pelagic Cormorant sightings, San Francisco ranks 3rd at under 5%. The best odds are in Vancouver (Canada, about 20%) and Seattle (United States, about 10%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Pelagic Cormorant is recorded against all the birds logged in San Francisco (4,764 verified sightings), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
