ABSTRACT
Phalacrocoracidae family contains about twenty eight species, with members in all of the world's zoogeographical regions. Six are found in the Afrotropical Region, and two are resident breeding birds in Kenya. The greater cormorant (Phalacrocorax carbo) is essentially a bird of large inland waters, especially lakes, with nonvegetated or rocky shores. Range is in 71% of the squares with larger lakes, the most notable exception being L Magadi 75C 87A, which lacks suitable fish. All post-1969 breeding records are from large lakes in the rift valley. It can wander to smaller waters, but this tendency is far less developed than in the Long-tailed Cormorant and the Greater is much less common at the coast. The long-tailed cormorant (Phalacrocorax africanus) is common on a great variety of waters that usually have well developed fringing vegetation and/or partially inundated trees. It breeds alongside herons, storks, ibises and darters in established heronries, as at L Jipe 100D and Garsen 91A.
