| American cormorants | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Double-crested cormorant (N. auritum) | |
Scientific classification | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Suliformes |
| Family: | Phalacrocoracidae |
| Genus: | Nannopterum Sharpe, 1899 |
| Type species | |
| Phalacrocorax harrisi Rothschild, 1898 | |
| Species | |
| Synonyms | |
DilophalieusCoues, 1903ViguacarboCoues, 1903 | |
Nannopterum is agenus ofcormorant comprising three species. They are found throughout theAmericas, hence the common nameAmerican cormorants.
These species were formerly classified in the genusPhalacrocorax. Amolecular phylogenetic study of the cormorants published in 2014 found that these three species formed a clade that wassister to the genusLeucocarbo.[1] To createmonophyletic genera, the three species were moved the resurrected genusNannopterum that had been introduced in 1899 by English ornithologistRichard Bowdler Sharpe to accommodate theflightless cormorant.[2][3][4] The genusNannopterum is thought to have split fromLeucocarbo between 6.7 - 8.0 million years ago.[1]
The genus nameNannopterum combines theAncient Greeknannos meaning "dwarf" withpteron meaning "wing".[5] This name was coined for theflightless cormorant, which does indeed have small wings. Genetic studies have found that theneotropic anddouble-crested cormorants form a clade with the flightless cormorant, and they are thus placed together in the genusNannopterum despite both species having normal-sized wings and full flight capabilities.[4]
| Common name | Scientific name and subspecies | Range | Size and ecology | IUCN status and estimated population |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flightless cormorant
| Nannopterum harrisi (Rothschild, 1898) | Fernandina andIsabela Islands in theGalápagos Islands,Ecuador | Size: Habitat: Diet: | VU |
| Neotropic cormorant
| Nannopterum brasilianum (Gmelin, 1789) Two subspecies
| Resident fromTierra Del Fuego north to all ofSouth America,Central America, andMexico to theGulf Coast ofTexas, along with the southern tip ofBaja California,Cuba, andGreat Inagua island. Breeding range extends north to most of east-central Texas and centralArizona &New Mexico. Nonbreeding range extends to most ofBahamas. | Size: Habitat: Diet: | LC |
| Double-crested cormorant
| Nannopterum auritum (Lesson, 1831) | Throughout North America, fromAlaska to all ofCanada and theUnited States, south to theYucatán Peninsula, the Bahamas andCuba | Size: Habitat: Diet: | LC |
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