About the Flightless Cormorant
The flightless cormorant, also known as the Galápagos cormorant, is a cormorant endemic to the Galápagos Islands, and an example of the highly unusual fauna there. It is unique in that it is the only known cormorant that has lost the ability to fly. It was placed in its own genus, Nannopterum, but then was later placed with most of the other cormorants in the genus Phalacrocorax. A 2014 study supported reclassifying it and two other American cormorant species back into Nannopterum. The IOU followed this classification in 2021.
Source: Wikipedia
Taxonomy & Classification
| Kingdom | Animalia |
| Phylum | Chordata |
| Class | Aves |
| Order | Suliformes |
| Family | Cormorants and Shags (Phalacrocoracidae) |
| Species | Nannopterum harrisi |
| Species Codes | flicor1, FLCO |
| Conservation | VU Vulnerable |
Frequently Asked Questions
What family does the Flightless Cormorant belong to?
The Flightless Cormorant (Nannopterum harrisi) belongs to the Cormorants and Shags family (Phalacrocoracidae), in the order Suliformes.
What is the conservation status of the Flightless Cormorant?
The Flightless Cormorant is classified as "Vulnerable" (VU) by IUCN Red List.
How can I identify the Flightless Cormorant?
The flightless cormorant, also known as the Galápagos cormorant, is a cormorant endemic to the Galápagos Islands, and an example of the highly unusual fauna there. It is unique in that it is the only known cormorant that has lost the ability to fly. It was placed in its own genus, Nannopterum, but t...
Where can I report a Flightless Cormorant sighting?
You can log sightings of Flightless Cormorant on eBird (ebird.org) using species code flicor1, or on iNaturalist.
Related Species in Cormorants and Shags 34 species
More Birds in Order Suliformes
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