---
title: "Cape Cormorant"
description: "Phalacrocorax capensis — Birds. The Cape cormorant (Phalacrocorax capensis), also known as the Cape shag, is a member of the cormorant family."
canonical: https://animalchecklist.com/animal/cape-cormorant
last_updated: 2026-09-20
---

# Cape Cormorant

> Phalacrocorax capensis — Birds. The Cape cormorant (Phalacrocorax capensis), also known as the Cape shag, is a member of the cormorant family.

- Scientific name: *Phalacrocorax capensis*
- Category: `birds` (Birds)
- Habitats: `sea` (Sea & coast)
- iNaturalist observations: 3363
- Wikidata: [Q1002574](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1002574)
- iNaturalist taxon: [4287](https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/4287)

## Names

- en: Cape Cormorant
- de: Kapscharbe
- es: Cormorán de El Cabo
- fr: Cormoran du Cap
- nl: Kaapse aalscholver
- pt: Corvo-marinho-do-cabo
- pl: Kormoran przylądkowy

## Countries with the most observations

ZA (2796), NA (372), AO (4)

## Summary

The Cape cormorant (Phalacrocorax capensis), also known as the Cape shag, is a member of the cormorant family. It is endemic to the southwestern coast of Africa, and classified as "Endangered" by the IUCN.  The Cape cormorant is most closely related to the great cormorant and Japanese cormorant.

Text: Wikipedia (en), CC BY-SA 4.0 — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cape_cormorant

## Photo

![Cape Cormorant](https://animalchecklist.com/img/animals/cape-cormorant/medium.jpg)

Photo: Dave Brown · CC0 · inaturalist — https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/346402696

## Machine access

`GET https://animalchecklist.com/api/v1/animals/cape-cormorant?lang=en` — see [openapi.json](https://animalchecklist.com/openapi.json).