Great Cormorant
Phalacrocorax carbo

Great Cormorants can be found over a large part of the world, from Western Europe through to Australia as well as Africa and Asia. In Japan, there is a different subspecies, hannedae, which is sometimes used as a fishing bird when trained. They are found in a wide variety of habitats, from open seas to estuaries, lakes and rivers where they eat large amounts of fish, in turn leading to culls in some areas. A similar species, Temmincks or Japanese Cormorant also occurs in the same area in Japan and ID is made by careful inspection of the sheen of the plumage and facial markings. 70 to 102 cm.
 

Great Cormorant

1: Ueno Park, Tokyo, 17/05/2012.