It is a small cormorant reaching between 50 and 55 cm in length and a wingspan of 85 cm. It is mainly black, bright green when breeding. The wing coverts are silvery. It has a fairly long tail, a short crest on its head, and a red or yellow facial patch. The beak is yellow.
Both sexes are similar, but non-breeding adults and juveniles are browner, with a white belly. Some southern breeds retain the crest throughout the year.
