The Little Black cormorant is distributed in Australia, New Zealand and Indonesia. It is found mainly on inland water bodies but is also to be seen on sheltered coastal waters.

Its English name is a bit of a misnomer since, at least during the breeding season, it is more a delicate bronze colour as can be seen in these photos. Another feature of breeding plumage is the flecks of white on the head and neck which can be seen on photo 1. Non-breeding plumage is darker and it is the only Australian cormorant with no solid white on its plumage.

It is about the same size as Little Pied Cormorant P. melanoleucos and noticeable smaller than Great Cormorant P. carbo. Photo 4 shows a Little Black Cormorant perched beside a Great Cormorant.