Australia has five species of Cormorant including Great, Little Black, Pied, Little Pied and Black-faced – all five species can be found on the Gippsland Lakes. Four of the five species have a wide distribution across Australia including inland waters. However the Black-faced appears to be the odd species out as it has a much more restricted range along the southern coast of Australia and around the Tasmania coast and only extending into coastal bays and lakes where these have marine water environments – that is it is not found in freshwater habitats.
The Gippsland Lakes has a sedentary population of Black-faced Cormorants with small flocks of up to 70 birds often found resting on sand islands in the Ocean Grange area, especially on Albifrons Island, and on rock groins on Rigby Island near Lakes Entrance.
In early October 2022 I photographed a Black-faced Cormorant near Crescent Island which had fine white striations on its hindneck – a clear sign of breeding condition.
Please click on photos to enlarge.
At this time there was a noticeable drop in numbers in the area which prompted me to check their breeding time which is September to February. So I concluded that most of our Black-faced Cormorants are away breeding at present. As they generally breed on rocky islands with cliff ledges and rocky platforms it is assumed they are breeding on rocky islands in Bass Strait to our west between Wilsons Promontory and Flinders Island.
It is intriguing to ponder how the Black-faced Cormorant’s evolutionary history has confined it to marine habitats while our other four Cormorant species are much more versatile?
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