Great Cormorant (Phalcacrocorax carbo)
Almost entirely black plumage except on the cheeks, which are white. Brown back with bluish shades at the neck. Very visible white patch on the thighs.
Great Cormorant (Phalcacrocorax carbo)
Almost entirely black plumage except on the cheeks, which are white. Brown back with bluish shades at the neck. Very visible white patch on the thighs. There are two different breeds in Europe: Continental (sinensis) and Atlantic (carbo), which differ from each other in that the former has a white head and neck and greenish tints in the plumage.
In winter, they do not have the white patch on the thighs, or white feathers on the head, only on the cheeks.
It nests both in marine areas (coasts, cliffs, crags, and small islands) and in inland continental waters (rivers, reservoirs, lagoons, large water holes etc.). Nesting is very scarce in inland areas on the Iberian Peninsula, which has been confirmed at a number of reservoirs in Extremadura (La Serena reservoir). During winter, as in the breeding season, it frequently winters in inland continental waters, especially rivers and reservoirs.