Auckland Shag

Photo by MariettaBirder
Enderby Island, New Zealand, January 2007

Alternative name: Auckland Islands Shag

Phalacrocorax colensoi

Identification

63cm

• Black upperparts with a metallic blue sheen
• White underparts and throat
• Pink legs and feet,
• White wing bar
• Some males have a white patch on the back
• Short black crest.

Distribution

New Zealand: found on the Auckland Islands.

Photo by MariettaBirder
Enderby Island, New Zealand, January 2007

Taxonomy

Monotypic^[1]
This taxon is considered a subspecies of Rough-faced Shag (sensu lato) by some authors^[2]
Sometimes placed in genus Leucocarbo.

Habitat

Open sea and sheltered coastal waters. Breeds on rocky cliffs.

Behaviour

Breeding

It breeds and roosts on ledges, on the tops of sea cliffs, in hollows, and also sometimes on flat ground amongst grass tussock or in the shelter of overhanging rocks, bushes or trees. Three eggs are laid and incubation lasts for 28 to 32 days.

Diet

The diet includes small fish and marine invertebrates.

Juvenile
Photo by MariettaBirder
Enderby Island, New Zealand, January 2007

References

1. Clements, JF. 2008. The Clements Checklist of Birds of the World. 6th ed., with updates to December 2008. Ithaca: Cornell Univ. Press. ISBN 978-0801445019.
2. Avibase
3. ArKive
4. BF Member observations

• List of references

Recommended Citation

• BirdForum Opus contributors. (2024) Auckland Shag. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 28 April 2024 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Auckland_Shag

External Links

Search for photos of Auckland Shag in the gallery