Status: Non-game species but with ecological and cultural significance.
Population: the number ofsmall cormorants in the European part of their range is between only 6 thousand and 7 thousand pairs and continues to decrease. There are no estimates of their numbers in Kazakhstan, but it is rare in most areas, except for the Danube Delta and the southwestern coast of the Caspian Sea.
Habitat: Formerly it nested in the Syr Darya valley and, possibly, in the Zhaik delta(Urals). Migratory birds have been recorded on the Chu River and Sorbulak Lake.In 2001, it was common in the Syr Darya valley and on the Chushkakol lakes. It is known to winter in the Tashkent region, and in mild winters it is found in the Syr Darya river region.
