PIED SHAG
PIED SHAG (Phalocrocorax varius) – (See image below)
The name ‘shag’ appears to be used interchangeably with ‘cormorant’ in Australia and New Zealand. So the pied shag is also called the Australian pied cormorant. It is considered vulnerable in New Zealand. As with other species of cormorants, it nests in trees along coastal cliffs. It is about 27 inches long and feeds on fish that they catch by diving.
The name ‘shag’ appears to be used interchangeably with ‘cormorant’ in Australia and New Zealand. So the pied shag is also called the Australian pied cormorant. It is considered vulnerable in New Zealand. As with other species of cormorants, it nests in trees along coastal cliffs. It is about 27 inches long and feeds on fish that they catch by diving.
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| Pied shag, back view, New Plymouth NZ |
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| Pied shag front view, Kaikoura, NZ |