This cormorant lives along the coasts of southern South America. It breeds on rocky cliffs and dives near shore for small fish, crustaceans, and other prey.
Adults are black above with a blue-purple to green sheen and white underparts. The bare facial skin is red, and the legs and webbed feet can be pink. The white patch behind the ear coverts varies by season and can be absent.
It feeds close to shore on small fish, crustaceans, and cephalopods, pursuing prey underwater, including around kelp beds. During breeding it nests on ledges of steep rocky cliffs.
An extinction-risk assessment has not been added yet.