Pygmy Cormorant
Microcarbo pygmaeus
See this bird on the water. Private boat tours from Rijeka Crnojevića, your group only.
The pygmy cormorant is the most-recorded bird on Lake Skadar, and once you know what to look for you will see it constantly — a small, dark, long-tailed cormorant perched on a half-submerged branch with its wings spread to dry.
It is a Skadar success story. The species was in trouble across Europe in the twentieth century and the lake is now one of its strongholds, with records peaking in May and again through July and August.
Size is the giveaway. Beside a great cormorant it looks almost comically small, with a proportionally longer tail and a rounder head. They are social, and a single dead tree in a channel can hold a dozen of them.
When to see it on Lake Skadar
Most often recorded in May, July and August, from 1,693 sightings logged on the lake. July is the single strongest month.
- Jan: 38 records
- Feb: 26 records
- Mar: 88 records
- Apr: 173 records
- May: 233 records
- Jun: 168 records
- Jul: 310 records
- Aug: 232 records
- Sep: 189 records
- Oct: 175 records
- Nov: 36 records
- Dec: 25 records
Peak months Other months
Conservation status
Least Concern
Records on the lake
1,693
Peak season
May, Jul and Aug
Habitat
Reed edges, willows and overhanging branches
Where on the lake
Anywhere with overhanging cover — the willow-lined stretches of the river canyon out of Rijeka Crnojevića are thick with them, often within a few metres of the boat. You do not need to go far to find this one.
How to tell it apart
Much smaller than a great cormorant, with a longer tail and rounder head.
