Flightless Cormorant - Conservation

Conservation

These cormorants evolved on an island habitat that was free of predators. Having no enemies, and taking its food primarily through diving along the food-rich shorelines, the bird eventually became flightless. However, since their discovery by man, the islands have not remained free of predators: cats, dogs, and pigs have been introduced to the islands over the years. In addition, these birds have no fear of humans and can easily be approached and picked up.

In the past, introduced feral dogs were a great threat to the species on Isabela, but they have since been eradicated from the island. Future introduction of rats or cats to Fernandina is a huge potential threat to the species. Fishing with nets poses a current threat to the species; this not only reduces the availability of the cormorant's food, but also often results in birds becoming caught in the nets and killed.

The fact that this uniquely adapted bird is found in such a small range and in such small numbers greatly increases its vulnerability to chance events such as environmental disasters (especially oil pollution), extreme climatic events and the introduction of diseases or predators. Unfortunately, marine perturbations such as those caused by El Niño events are becoming increasingly extreme. Still, its ability to breed quickly can allow it to recover from disasters as long as the population remains above the critical level.

Because of these factors, the Flightless Cormorant is one of the world's rarest birds. A survey carried out by the Charles Darwin Research Station in 2004 indicated that the species has a population of about 1,500 individuals. In 2009, Birdlife.org set the number of individuals of the Flightless Cormorant at only 900 individuals, although a more recent estimate in 2011 was 1679 individuals. It was formerly classified as Endangered by the IUCN, but recent research shows that it is not as rare as previously believed and that its population has stabilised. Consequently, it was downlisted to Vulnerable in 2011.

All populations of this species are found within the Galapagos National Park and Marine Reserve; furthermore, the archipelago was designated as a World Heritage Site in 1979. The Charles Darwin Research Station has monitored the species regularly to keep track of fluctuations in numbers over time. The species is considered vulnerable, and conservation proposals include the continuation of annual monitoring programmes, the reduction of disturbance by humans, and the prevention of fishing with nets in the bird's foraging range.