Guanay Cormorant

Guanay Cormorant

Leucocarbo bougainvilliorum

Near Threatened

Aves · Suliformes · Phalacrocoracidae

About

The guanay cormorant or guanay shag is a member of the cormorant family found on the Pacific coast of Peru and northern Chile. After breeding it spreads south to southern parts of Chile and north to Ecuador, and has also been recorded as far north as Panama and Colombia, probably a result of mass dispersal due to food shortage in El Niño years. Its major habitats include shallow seawater and rocky shores. A former population on the Patagonian Atlantic coast of Argentina appears to be extinct.

Fun Fact

After breeding it spreads south to southern parts of Chile and north to Ecuador, and has also been recorded as far north as Panama and Colombia, probably a result of mass dispersal due to food shortage in El Niño years.

Quick Facts

Habitat

To be updated

Diet

Feeds mainly on the Peruvian anchoveta Engraulis ringens, and the Peruvian silverside Odontesthes regia, which thrive in the cold Humboldt Current.

Lifespan

To be updated

Threats

  • Habitat Change
  • Hunting and Collection
  • Climate Change