List of Suliformes by population

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. 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:

Spectacled cormorant (Urile perspicillatus) - largest known cormorant species, extinct since 1850s.

Species by global population Common nameBinomial namePopulationStatusTrendNotesImage Rough-faced shag (New Zealand king shag)Phalacrocorax carunculatus 250-999 Total population estimated to be 350-1,500 individuals. Chatham Islands shag Leucocarbo onslowi 710 Pitt Island shag (Pitt shag)Phalacrocorax featherstoni 868 Bounty Island shag (Bounty shag)Leucocarbo ranfurlyi 874-975 Flightless cormorant Nannopterum harrisi 2,080 Value provided is for total population. Christmas Island frigatebird (Christmas frigatebird)Fregata andrewsi 2,400-5,000 Best estimate for breeding population is 3,700 mature individuals. Auckland Islands shag (Auckland shag)Leucocarbo colensoi 3,000 Stewart Island shag Leucocarbo chalconotus 3,300-5,300 Numbers may be overestimated. Crowned cormorant Microcarbo coronatus 4,324 Bank cormorant Phalacrocorax neglectus 5,000 Abbott's booby Papasula abbotti 6,000 Campbell Island shag (Campbell shag)Leucocarbo campbelli 8,000 Estimate hasn't been updated since 1975. Value given is for total population, but may be more representative of number of mature individuals. Oriental darter Anhinga melanogaster 10,000-99,999 No formal population estimate has been conducted, but "the population probably numbers at least in the tens of thousands." Black-faced cormorantPhalacrocorax fuscescens10,000-99,999?Total population "probably numbers several 10,000s of birds." Ascension frigatebird Fregata aquila 17,000-21,000 African darterAnhinga rufa17,000-84,400 Red-legged cormorant Poikilocarbo gaimardi 19,400-20,300 Nazca booby Sula granti 20,000-49,999 Minimum estimate. Great pied cormorant (Australian pied cormorant)Phalacrocorax varius23,300-83,300?Total population is estimated to be 35,000-125,000 individuals.Little black cormorantPhalacrocorax sulcirostris23,300-683,000?Total population is estimated to be 34,999-1,024,999 individuals. Japanese cormorant Phalacrocorax capillatus 25,000-100,000 ? Values given are for total population. Indian cormorantPhalacrocorax fuscicollis30,000?Value given is for total population.AnhingaAnhinga anhinga33,300-133,000?Little pied cormorantMicrocarbo melanoleucos36,000-201,000?Values given are for total population. Pygmy cormorant Microcarbo pygmaeus 87,300-113,000 Blue-footed boobySula nebouxii90,000Lesser frigatebirdFregata ariel100,000-499,999Values given are for total population.Great frigatebirdFregata minor120,000Magnificent frigatebirdFregata magnificens130,000Long-tailed cormorant (Reed cormorant)Microcarbo africanus134,000-802,000Total population is estimated to be 200,500-1,202,500 individuals.Little cormorantMicrocarbo niger183,000-233,000?Total population is estimated to be 275,000-350,000 individuals. Brown booby Sula leucogaster >200,000 Minimum estimate. Note that IOC taxonomy splits an additional species, the Cocos booby, from this species.

IUCN/BirdLife International maintain both species within S. leucogaster. Red-faced cormorant Urile urile >200,000 Minimum estimate. Socotra cormorant Phalacrocorax nigrogularis 220,000 Brandt's cormorantUrile penicillatus230,000Value provided is for total population.European shagGulosus aristotelis230,000-240,000Values provided are for total population. Cape cormorant Phalacrocorax capensis 234,000 Cape gannet Morus capensis 246,000 Mature population only (123,080 pairs). Peruvian boobySula variegata1,200,000Values given are for total population. Red-footed booby Sula sula 1,400,000 Minimum estimate. Great cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo 1,400,000-2,100,000 Values given are for total population. Northern gannet Morus bassanus 1,500,000-1,800,000 Neotropical cormorant (Neotropic cormorant)Nannopterum brasilianum 2,000,000 Values given are for total population. Guanay cormorantLeucocarbo bougainvilliorum 2,500,000 – 4,999,999 Values given are for total population.

Species without population estimates Common nameBinomial namePopulationStatusTrendNotesImageAustralasian darterAnhinga novaehollandiaeunknownImperial shagLeucocarbo atricepsunknown?Note that IOC taxonomy splits five additional species, the South Georgia shag, Crozet shag, Antarctic shag, Heard Island shag, and Macquarie shag from this species. IUCN/BirdLife International maintain all species within L. atriceps.Rock shag (Magellanic cormorant)Leucocarbo magellanicusunknown?Kerguelen Islands shag (Kerguelen shag)Leucocarbo verrucosusunknown?Australasian gannetMorus serratorunknownDouble-crested cormorantNannopterum auritumunknownMasked boobySula dactylatraunknownSpotted shagPhalacrocorax punctatusunknown?Pelagic cormorantUrile pelagicusunknownSeveral national population estimates exist, but there is not enough data to form an estimate for global population.

See also

Lists of birds by population Lists of organisms by population

References