Little Pied Cormorant

Australian pygmy cormorant (Phalacrocorax melanoleucos )

The Australian pygmy or Kräuselscharbe (Phalacrocorax melanoleucos ) belongs to the family of Cormorants ( Phalacrocoracidae ). It occurs mainly on coasts of Australia and New Zealand and reached occasionally lying in sub-Antarctic islands of New Zealand.

The IUCN classifies the Australian pygmy cormorant as a not at risk ( least concern ).

Appearance

The Australian Pygmy Cormorant reaches a body length of 55 to 65 centimeters. The wing length is 22 to 24.6 inches. The weight varies 410-880 grams. Males tend to be slightly larger than females.

Overall, the Australian pygmy cormorant is a small, compact design of cormorant. Characteristic of the type is also the long tail. We distinguish between several color morphs. The weißkehlige morph is in breeding plumage on the body top black gray with a greenish tinge. Also the top of the head, the back of the neck and sides of the neck and the lower anterior neck are black. In contrast, the face is up on the eyes as well as the front neck white. The rest of the body underside is blackish. The so-called magpie colored morph uses a white on the underparts. The beak is short and strong, and varies in color between yellowish, greenish or brownish.

Australian Pygmy Cormorants are both on the coast and in inland waters to observe and make use of smaller waters and rivers in search of food. They rest and nest in trees and shrubs near water and trees on fence posts, on the masts of boats and on telephone lines on. Her gait is waddling ashore. They are relatively frequently observed individually. Australian Pygmy Cormorants can fly up at an angle of 45 degrees, which is about twice as steep as the Aufflug other Australasian cormorants.

The Australian Pygmy Cormorant is to identify relatively well through her short yellow beak and the wedge-shaped tail. Possible confusion exist in the distribution area with the Elsterscharbe and Schwarzgesichtscharbe. However, both species are significantly larger and have a longer bill. The featherless facial skin is in Schwarzgesichtsscharbe also black.

Area of distribution and habitat

The Australian pygmy cormorant comes from Indonesia through New Guinea to the Solomon Islands, Australia and New Zealand before. Vagrants occasionally reach the Lord Howe Island, Norfolk Island and the Campbell Islands.

Their habitat are both protected coastline and waters of the inland. It uses a wide range of different natural and artificial water bodies, these include, marshes, water storage, billabongs, canals, ponds, cattle troughs and ornamental ponds. My preferred place habitat is open freshwater lakes as well as permanent or temporary existing flood plains. On the coast, the Australian Zwergschalbe can be found on bays and estuaries and harbors. It also occurs in salt pans and mangrove swamps. Rarely, however, before she comes to coastal areas that are exposed to the wind unprotected.

The distribution area of the Australian pygmy cormorant has increased both in Australia and in New Zealand. She comes there before, where forested areas deforested and reservoirs were built. The stock is, however, declined overall because the remaining and created wetlands provide their total less habitat than they had before colonization by Europeans.

The behavior of the young birds is predominantly dismigrativ. Ringed young birds were mostly found up to 125 kilometers from the Niststandort two months after ringing. After six months, they will stay in a region that is an average of 300 kilometers from the place of birth. However, some of them return to their birthplace. In general, the Dismigration is in young birds, which grow in colonies in the hinterland, more pronounced than in those growing up in breeding colonies near the coast.

Nutrition

The food of the Australian pygmy consists of small fish. In the north of Australia, it eats a large extent and imported fish species such as carp and perch.

The food is caught diving. The Australian pygmy cormorant is an average of 16 seconds under water. The pause between dives is very short, and averages 7 seconds. Small prey animals they eat still under water, more are brought to the surface waters and eaten there. When fish are too large and can not be swallowed at once, they are brought to the waters edge. The claws of crustaceans are removed by shaking, before being swallowed up by the dab.

Australian Pygmy usually search for food individually, but they have also been observed in the community hunt. These hunting parties included up to 200 individuals. The formation of such teams may be due to an over -rich food supply. It often happens that Australian Pygmy near Schwarzscharbentrupps looking for food, even resting Australian Pygmy Cormorants are often associated with this cormorant.

Reproduction

The Australian pygmy cormorant uses a range of very different waters for their propagation. Nesting trees are located on the shores of lakes, billabongs, rivers and swamps. Occasionally incubates the Australian pygmy cormorant species associated with other on islands off the coast. Breeding colonies between 5 and include more than 1,000 nests. The Pygmy Cormorants breed but sometimes individually. Most breeding colonies consist of fewer than 100 nests. In their colonies often breed other cormorant species as well as herons, spoonbills, darters and ibises. The oviposition within the United colony is not synchronized in contrast to sub-colonies within such colonies.

Australian Pygmy enter into a monogamous couple relationship that can exist more than one breeding season. Previous studies on reproductive period have shown no consistent result: it is mainly in the period from October to November, from South Australia are also observations that refer to the month of May, and from the Australian state of Victoria has been shown that these birds also nest in August. Probably Australian Pygmy Cormorants are not tied to a specific breeding season and can propagate throughout the year if the habitat conditions permit.

The nest is built on tree branches or in crotches of trees of eucalyptus, the mangroves, casuarinas or Myrtenheiden. Usually are the nesting trees at the waters edge and the nests are, on average, 2.8 meters above the water surface.

The clutch size is not yet fully investigated, presumably it is three to five eggs. The eggs are elliptical and rough. Their shells are pale bluish and have lime spots. The incubation period is unknown. Newly hatched nestlings are initially naked and have a black skin and the throat is a red spot. They are covered after a few days of black dunes. Once implies the first adult plumage, they throw themselves in disorder from the nest and immerse in water. How long do the young birds in the nest and how the male and the female parent birds participate in the rearing, is not known.

Exceed the breeding success so far only few investigations. In a breeding colony was observed that out of 24 eggs hatched 14 chicks in two thorough observed nests hatched 8 eggs 7 chicks, of which 6 were fledged. Among the predators include crows and Whistling Kites.