Guanay Cormorant
Guanay CormorantGuanay CormorantGuanay CormorantGuanay Cormorant

Guanay Cormorant

Leucocarbo bougainvilliorum

Least ConcernNear ThreatenedVulnerableEndangeredCritically Endangered
40–50% · Likely
overall probability at Paracas National Reserve
193 Verified records at Paracas National Reserve
June Best month highest sighting rate
☀️ Diurnal When it's active during daytime hours (6am–6pm)

The guanay cormorant or guanay shag (Leucocarbo bougainvilliorum) is a member of the cormorant family found on the Pacific coast of Peru and northern Chile. After breeding it spreads south to southern parts of Chile and north to Ecuador, and has also been recorded as far north as Panama and Colombia, probably a result of mass dispersal due to food shortage in El Niño years. Its major habitats include shallow seawater and rocky shores. A former population on the Patagonian Atlantic coast of Argentina appears to be extinct. Wikipedia →

40–50% of wildlife watchers report a Guanay Cormorant sighting in Paracas National Reserve, based on 193 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.

Closest Relatives at Paracas National Reserve

Bigua cormorant

Bigua cormorant

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Phalacrocorax brasilianus

70–80% · Very likely
Red-legged Cormorant

Red-legged Cormorant

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Phalacrocorax gaimardi

20–30% · Possible
Peruvian Booby
LC

Peruvian Booby

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Sula variegata

70–80% · Very likely
Blue-footed Booby
LC

Blue-footed Booby

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Sula nebouxii

<5% · Rare

📅 Monthly Probability

30–40
Jan
40–50
Feb
50–60
Mar
30–40
Apr
40–50
May
50–60
Jun
50–60
Jul
30–40
Aug
30–40
Sep
30–40
Oct
30–40
Nov
40–50
Dec

☀️ When They're Spotted

Most active during daytime hours (6am–6pm) · across all parks (global)

☀️Diurnal
☀️🌙🌙12am6am12pm6pm12am

Global Distribution

Where this species is recorded worldwide. Restricted to human observations from 2019 onwards — the same kind of record and the same period the probabilities on this page are built from, so collar-tracking studies, camera-trap arrays and museum specimens are excluded. Around Santa Rosa that removes 5,924 GPS fixes from a handful of tagged jaguars.

where this species is recorded (GBIF density — it tracks where observers go, not how likely a sighting is)  ·  parks where it occurs — tap a pin for the sighting probability there

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Probability
1 Paracas National Reserve 🇵🇪 Peru
40–50%
2 Machalilla National Park 🇪🇨 Ecuador
5–10%

Quick answers

What are the chances of seeing a Guanay Cormorant in Paracas National Reserve?

About 41% of wildlife watchers report a Guanay Cormorant sighting in Paracas National Reserve, based on 193 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.

When is the best time to see Guanay Cormorant in Paracas National Reserve?

June has the highest sighting rate for Guanay Cormorant in Paracas National Reserve in our monthly data.

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