Pygmy Cormorant

Category of conservation concern (IUCN, 2020) – Least Concern

Population size: 2020: 240- 945 pairs (2007: 350–500 pairs)

Distribution pattern

Colonial breeding species found in only 11 colonies. The breeding areas are mainly along the Danube River, wetlands around Burgas and the Thracian Plain, sometimes in areas with traditional, centuries-old sites. Most of the established breeding sites are not permanent. Every year breeds in the Srebarna Lake, the Kalimok fishponds, on the island of Mishka in the Danube River, along the Arda River in the town of Kardzhali, in the Poda marsh near Burgas. Most often breeds in colonies with herons. Builds its nests in reed beds, in low bushes among reeds or in trees (willows, poplars). The number of breeding pairs is subject to very large annual fluctuations, mainly depending on the water levels. 

Population estimation for the period 2013 – 2020: During the period 2013-2020, the species was not found in 24 squares, where it was found before 2013. In most of these cases in 2013 were reported squares where small cormorants were observed during the breeding season, but with low degree of reliability for their breeding. Included are, also, squares with established breeding sites on the Romanian islands in the Danube River, which are not currently included. New localities have been established in six squares.

Population size in Special Protection Areas of Natura 2000: 235 – 861 pairs (92% of the population). The highest number is found in the Special Protection Areas “Srebarna” (150-220 pairs), “Kalimok Complex” (70-506 pairs), and “Mandra-Poda Complex” (15-120 pairs).

Comparative distribution of the species compared to the first breeding birds atlas (Iankov, 2007): Breeding locality until 2007 | Breeding locality until 2007, confirmed after 2015 – | New breeding locality after 2015. – The breeding localities after 2015 are identified on a base of raw data from smartbirds.org.

Habitats

Most of the pairs are found in bogs and marshes (water-fringe vegetation), but most of the localities are found in alluvial, riverine and swamp forests and brush, sometimes in groups of trees in the shallow parts of micro-dams.

Trends in population changes for the period 2013-2020

Threats 

Drainage of wetlands. Damage to habitats due to large-scale fires in reed beds. Predation threatening eggs and chicks in breeding colonies. Disturbance in the area of the colonies. Poaching, especially in areas of fish farms. Entanglement in fishing gear. Logging in the area of the colonies on the Danube islands (Mishka Island).

Petar Shurulinkov, Vladimir Mladenov, Girgina Daskalova, Ralitsa Georgieva