National census of Great Cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo colonies in France in 2018 and comparison with 2015 [Recensement national des colonies de grands cormorans phalacrocorax carbo en France en 2018 et comparaison avec celui de 2015]

National audienceNational census of Great Cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo colonies in Franca In 2018 and comparison wMh 2015. The sixth W-8nnual National Census of breeding Great Cormorants in both inland and coastal Franca showed 9612 i 65 br«rx∗ng pairs (excluding 62 destroyed nests with eggs but indudrg 90 nests for which young and breeders were partly destroyed at the end of breeding) compared to 9524 $ 46 In 2015 (corrected), corresaonding to an increasing rate of only 0 92%. distributed in 179-181 colonies (157-161 in 2015) in 47 or 48 (3-4 new) ddpartements (administrative French counties). The coaslal population. st-J Wnited to only 7 dfepartements between Somme and Mtttihan. decreased by 10 77% since 2015 with 1B97 txe«<Sng pais in 35 colonies. compared to 2126 brseding pairs in 34 cotorwis in 2015 Tho coastal population of Normandy still decreased (-2.02% with 39 nests lost) in addition to the decrease of 339 nesls between 2006 and 2015 from a tolal of 1279 nests in 2006) Tho decrease also concerned Wo whole Brittany (-22.55% since 2015. a toss of 205 breeding pairs), higher In Morbihan (-30.50%) and lie-et-Vlaine (-25%) than in Finislfcre (-10 22%) and C6tes dArmor (-6 49%). The inland populate, that appeared m France m 1961. won 3 or 4 ddpartements (Oise. Indre. Oordogne and may be Gars), .totalling 45-46 ddpartements instead of 42 in 2015. 43 in 2012. 38 in 2009 and 28 in 2006. essent-ally in the northern half part of the country, with a decrease ol Ihe growth rale of number of breeders (7715 i 49 treecSng pairs (+4 27%) in 143-145 colonies against 7399 ± 47 breeding pa∗s in 123-127 colsnies in 2015. The number of breeding pairs in Ihe largest pioneers colonies that appeared in the 1980-90' decreased The 8 largest cokmies cumulated only 36% of the inland national population against <1% in 2015. 8y adfrng the coastal and inland popul8tons. the Pays de la Loire represented 21.65% of the national population, again nvr.ro than Nsrmandy since 2015 (17.69%). followed by Brittany