Flightless CormorantNannopterum harrisiWhere and when to see them

The flightless cormorant is a Galápagos endemic confined to the coasts of Fernandina and western Isabela. Its small, ragged-looking wings cannot lift its heavy body into the air, but powerful legs and large feet make it an effective marine hunter. Adults have dark plumage, turquoise eyes and a hooked bill. Its exceptionally restricted distribution makes changes in ocean productivity, introduced predators and disturbance around nesting shores important conservation concerns.

Size

89–100 cm long

Weight

2.5–5 kg

Lifespan

Not reliably established

Status

Vulnerable

Pairs perform courtship displays close to shore and build bulky nests from seaweed and other available material. Both parents incubate eggs and feed chicks, although females may leave a brood with the male and begin another nesting attempt. Birds rest on lava between feeding trips, sometimes holding their reduced wings outspread. They usually forage near their home coastline rather than making the long-distance movements typical of many flying seabirds. Courtship displays involve the male and female intertwining their long necks. Despite their inability to fly, they are excellent swimmers and divers, using their powerful legs and webbed feet for propulsion underwater. They spend much of their time on land, resting and digesting prey on lava outcrops where they are safe from marine predators.

• It is the only living cormorant species that cannot fly.
• Its feet, rather than its wings, provide propulsion while hunting.
• Males are substantially heavier than females.
• Its entire natural breeding range lies on Fernandina and Isabela.

Observation is possible throughout the year on permitted western-island itineraries. The cooler, productive period from roughly June to November often supports breeding activity, but nesting responds to food conditions rather than a fixed calendar. Strong El Niño conditions can substantially reduce breeding success. Breeding can occur at any time of year when food is abundant, sometimes allowing for multiple broods. Monitoring ocean conditions, particularly sea surface temperature and chlorophyll levels, can provide clues to potential breeding success. During strong El Niño events, warmer waters reduce the availability of their cold-water prey, impacting reproduction.

This species occupies rocky volcanic shorelines, sheltered bays and adjacent shallow coastal waters. Nesting and resting sites are generally on low lava platforms close to productive feeding areas. Its natural range is restricted to two western islands, not the archipelago as a whole. Its distribution is limited almost entirely to Isabela and Fernandina islands, with very small populations on northern Santa Cruz and western Santiago. This highly restricted range is a critical factor in its conservation status. Nesting platforms provide safety from terrestrial predators and direct access to foraging grounds.

Flightless cormorants catch bottom-associated fish, octopuses and other marine prey, including some crustaceans. They search close to rocky seabeds using their feet for propulsion. Food availability depends strongly on the cool, nutrient-rich waters reaching the western Galápagos coastline. Its diet is almost entirely composed of fish, with eels being a common catch, alongside octopuses. They are ambush predators, often hiding among rocks before striking at prey. This specialized diet means they are highly sensitive to changes in ocean productivity.

Common name

Flightless Cormorant

Scientific name

Nannopterum harrisi

Animal group

Birds

Size

89–100 cm long

Weight

2.5–5 kg

Lifespan

Not reliably established

Status

Vulnerable

Identification

Unlike flying cormorants, it combines a large dark body with conspicuously undersized wings, turquoise eyes and a strongly hooked bill. The adult's plumage is dull black dorsally and brownish ventrally, but juveniles are uniformly shiny black. Its small, ragged wings are unique among cormorants, clearly differentiating it from other seabirds. The powerful, hooked bill is adapted for grasping slippery prey underwater.