Pygmy cormorant

How it lives

It lives on vegetated pools, lakes, river deltas and reedy wetlands. It nests in colonies, usually with other waterbirds, in dense trees, shrubs or reeds, about 2 to 2.5 m (6.5 to 8 ft) above the ground. Breeding runs from about April to July. Clutches are 3 to 7 eggs. Both parents incubate for 27 to 30 days. Chicks fledge at about 44 days and become independent at about 70 days. Birds mature at about 3 years.

Where it goes

Partly migratory. Northern birds move south after breeding, mostly within the breeding range. Birds from the Caspian region leave in late August and return by March or April. In winter many go to estuaries or lakes with saltier water and gather at shared roosts.

We only draw a journey on the map when scientists have tracked it or clearly documented it. For this animal we have not found one yet.

Populations

Wikipedia lists 87,300 to 113,000 birds (BirdLife International, 2025) with an increasing trend. Between 74 and 94 percent live in Europe, mostly in the south-east. The biggest colony is in the Danube Delta, about 4,000 pairs. Romania has about 9,400 to 10,500 breeding pairs. A winter roost in Belgrade holds about 4,000 birds, about 2 percent of the world population, and gained protected habitat status in Serbia in March 2022. Romanian numbers fell sharply in the past because of wetland drainage. Threats now include wetland loss, pollution, persecution and drowning in fishing nets.