The Cape cormorant (Phalacrocorax capensis), also known as the Cape shag, is a member of the cormorant family. It is endemic to the southwestern coast of Africa, and classified as "Endangered" by the IUCN. The Cape cormorant is most closely related to the great cormorant and Japanese cormorant.
The Cape cormorant is a blue-black bird with a glossy shine. The entire body follows the same coloration. There is little to no sexual dimorphism, with both males and females measuring 61–64 cm and weighing 1.1-1.3 kg, along with a similar plumage. The beak is dark grey-black, and a deep yellow-orange gular pouch can be observed. The eyes are turquoise with a greenish eye-ring around them.
Both non-breeding and immature adults have duller plumage, with a brown throat for immature adults. Juveniles are browner than immature adults, with grey eyes and a black, white, or speckled gular pouch.
Males and females have a wingspan of around 260 mm. For breeding adults, the wings are bottle green. Cape cormorants have a non-breeding range extending from Lobito, Angola, to Maputo Bay, Mozambique. Their breeding range is smaller, reaching from Southern Angola to the Eastern Cape province of South Africa. Cape cormorants stay close to the Benguela Upwelling System, an area of high food availability.
There are around 57,000 breeding pairs of Cape cormorants in Namibia alone. However, overfishing in the Cape cormorant’s range has led to a shift in food sources. Anchovies, sardines, and rock lobster have all recently shifted south and east. Cape cormorants have a limited foraging range when breeding. As such, this resource shift has led to a strong decline in Cape cormorant numbers.
