List of Suliformes by population

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is a list of Suliformes species by global population. While numbers are estimates, they have been made by the experts in their fields. For more information on how these estimates were ascertained, see Wikipedia's articles on population biology and population ecology.

Suliformes include the following families: Sulidae (gannets and boobies), Fregatidae (frigatebirds), Phalacrocoracidae (cormorants), Anhingidae (darters), and the Plotopteridae (flightless seabirds of the North Pacific that went extinct in the Miocene).

The IOC World Bird List (version 15.1) recognizes 60 species of Suliformes, one of which is extinct.[1] As of December 2025, IUCN/BirdLife International have assessed 54 of these species (excepting Cocos booby and Imperial shag complex splits), 44 of which have population estimates. This list follows IUCN classifications for species names. Where IUCN classifications differ from other ornithological authorities, alternative names are noted.

Some members included in Suliformes are extinct:

Common name Binomial name Population Status Trend Notes Image
Rough-faced shag

(New Zealand king shag)

 Phalacrocorax carunculatus250-999[4]VU[4]Steady[4]Total population estimated to be 350-1,500 individuals.[4]
Chatham Islands shagLeucocarbo onslowi710[5]CR[5]Decrease[5]
Pitt Island shag

(Pitt shag)

 Phalacrocorax featherstoni868[6]EN[6]Decrease[6]
Bounty Island shag

(Bounty shag)

 Leucocarbo ranfurlyi874-975[7]VU[7]Steady[7]
Flightless cormorantNannopterum harrisi2,080[8]VU[8]Steady[8]Value provided is for total population.[8]
Christmas Island frigatebird

(Christmas frigatebird)

 Fregata andrewsi2,400-5,000[9]VU[9]Decrease[9]Best estimate for breeding population is 3,700 mature individuals.[9]
Auckland Islands shag

(Auckland shag)

 Leucocarbo colensoi3,000[10]VU[10]Steady[10]
Stewart Island shagLeucocarbo chalconotus3,300-5,300[11]VU[11]Decrease[11]Numbers may be overestimated.[11]
Crowned cormorantMicrocarbo coronatus4,324[12]LC[12]Steady[12]
Bank cormorantPhalacrocorax neglectus5,000[13]EN[13]Decrease[13]
Abbott's boobyPapasula abbotti6,000[14]EN[14]Steady[14]
Campbell Island shag

(Campbell shag)

 Leucocarbo campbelli8,000[15]VU[15]Steady[15]Estimate hasn't been updated since 1975. Value given is for total population, but may be more representative of number of mature individuals.[15]
Oriental darterAnhinga melanogaster10,000-99,999[16]LC[16]Increase[16]No formal population estimate has been conducted, but "the population probably numbers at least in the tens of thousands."[16]
Black-faced cormorant Phalacrocorax fuscescens 10,000-99,999[17] LC[17] ?[17] Total population "probably numbers several 10,000s of birds."[17]
Ascension frigatebirdFregata aquila17,000-21,000[18]VU[18]Steady[18]
African darter Anhinga rufa 17,000-84,400[19] LC[19] Steady[19]
Red-legged cormorantPoikilocarbo gaimardi19,400-20,300[20]NT[20]Decrease[20]
Nazca boobySula granti20,000-49,999[21]LC[21]Decrease[21]Minimum estimate.[21]
Great pied cormorant

(Australian pied cormorant)

 Phalacrocorax varius 23,300-83,300[22] LC[22] ?[22] Total population is estimated to be 35,000-125,000 individuals.[22]
Little black cormorant Phalacrocorax sulcirostris 23,300-683,000[23] LC[23] ?[23] Total population is estimated to be 34,999-1,024,999 individuals.[23]
Japanese cormorantPhalacrocorax capillatus25,000-100,000[24]LC[24]?[24]Values given are for total population.[24]
Indian cormorant Phalacrocorax fuscicollis 30,000[25] LC[25] ?[25] Value given is for total population.[25]
Anhinga Anhinga anhinga 33,300-133,000[26] LC[26] ?[26]
Little pied cormorant Microcarbo melanoleucos 36,000-201,000[27] LC[27] ?[27] Values given are for total population.[27]
Pygmy cormorantMicrocarbo pygmaeus87,300-113,000[28]LC[28]Increase[28]
Blue-footed booby Sula nebouxii 90,000[29] LC[29] Decrease[29]
Lesser frigatebird Fregata ariel 100,000-499,999[30] LC[30] Decrease[30] Values given are for total population.[30]
Great frigatebird Fregata minor 120,000[31] LC[31] Decrease[31]
Magnificent frigatebird Fregata magnificens 130,000[32] LC[32] Decrease[32]
Long-tailed cormorant

(Reed cormorant)

 Microcarbo africanus 134,000-802,000[33] LC[33] Steady[33] Total population is estimated to be 200,500-1,202,500 individuals.[33]
Little cormorant Microcarbo niger 183,000-233,000[34] LC[34] ?[34] Total population is estimated to be 275,000-350,000 individuals.[34]
Brown boobySula leucogaster>200,000[35]LC[35]Decrease[35]Minimum estimate.[35]

Note that IOC taxonomy splits an additional species, the Cocos booby, from this species.[1]

IUCN/BirdLife International maintain both species within S. leucogaster.[36]
Red-faced cormorantUrile urile>200,000[37]LC[37]Decrease[37]Minimum estimate.[37]
Socotra cormorantPhalacrocorax nigrogularis220,000[38]VU[38]Decrease[38]
Brandt's cormorant Urile penicillatus 230,000[39] LC[39] Decrease[39] Value provided is for total population.[39]
European shag Gulosus aristotelis 230,000-240,000[40] LC[40] Decrease[40] Values provided are for total population.[40]
Cape cormorantPhalacrocorax capensis234,000[41]EN[41]Steady[41]
Cape gannetMorus capensis246,000[42]EN[42]Decrease[42]Mature population only (123,080 pairs).[42]
Peruvian booby Sula variegata 1,200,000[43] LC[43] Steady[43] Values given are for total population.[43]
Red-footed boobySula sula1,400,000[44]LC[44]Decrease[44]Minimum estimate.[44]
Great cormorantPhalacrocorax carbo1,400,000-2,100,000[45]LC[45]Increase[45]Values given are for total population.[45]
Northern gannetMorus bassanus1,500,000-1,800,000[46]LC[46]Increase[46]
Neotropical cormorant

(Neotropic cormorant)

 Nannopterum brasilianum2,000,000[47]LC[47]Increase[47]Values given are for total population.[47]
Guanay cormorantLeucocarbo bougainvilliorum2,500,000 – 4,999,999[48]NT[48]Decrease[48]Values given are for total population.[47]

Species without population estimates

See also

References

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