These are found around the coasts, islands, estuaries, and inland waters of Australia, New Guinea, New Zealand, Malaysia, and Indonesia, the south-western Pacific and the sub-Antarctic. They are similar to the Pied Cormorant in column 45 but can be distinguished by their smaller size, yellow bill and the absence of an orange-yellow face patch.
At home in either fresh or salt water they are often seen in sizeable flocks on the coast and open waterways, especially where large numbers of fish are present, on inland streams and dams, however, they are usually alone.
They are solitary feeders, normally diving in relatively shallow water near the shore and eating a wide variety of aquatic animals, from insects to fish, crustaceans are also taken with shrimps being a large part of their diet in winter months. On inland streams and dams their most favoured food is yabbies (freshwater crayfish). The sexes are similar and breed mostly in colonies during the wetter months. The nest is a flat platform of sticks, often still with leaves, in the forks of trees, usually eucalypts that are standing in water, both adults share in egg incubation and care of the young.