The Little Pied Cormorant is a small black and white waterbird found across Australia, including much of New South Wales, where it inhabits rivers, lakes, estuaries and coastal waters.
It is recognised by its white face and underparts contrasted with a glossy black back and wings, along with a slender hooked bill. An agile diver, the Little Pied Cormorant feeds mainly on fish and aquatic invertebrates, swimming low in the water before diving beneath the surface.
Often seen perched on posts or branches with wings spread to dry, it is a common and characteristic species of Australian waterways.
Photographed in Sydney, NSW