Neotropic Cormorant - Taxonomy

Taxonomy

The species was documented in 1658 by Willem Piso after travels in Brazil. This formed the basis for the description and naming of the species by Johann Friedrich Gmelin in 1789. Many later authors preferred to use the name Phalacrocorax olivaceus based on Alexander von Humboldt's 1805 description because the identity of Piso's birds was considered uncertain. Recently, many authorities such as the American Ornithologists' Union have begun to use Phalacrocorax brasilianus after M. Ralph Browning argued that Piso's description and paintings do indeed refer to the Neotropic Cormorant.