Great Cormorant is common and widespread in temperate and tropical regions, although not found in large parts of Africa and
the Americas. This may be due to similar species inhabiting those regions, since several subspecies may in fact be good species, and the African White-breasted has already been split.
It is suggested that the subspecies maroccanus may be split, also the Australian novaehollandiae, and Double-crested Cormorant probably displaces Great in much of America.
There are two races occuring in the UK, the nominate is the main one, but also significant numbers of sinensis from central Europe east. Whilst distinguishable from each other,
the current status, and in particular hybridisation, is insufficiently researched.
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