New Zealand king shag
Kingdom
Phylum
Class
Subclass
Infraclass
Superorder
Order
Genus
SPECIES
Leucocarbo carunculatus

The New Zealand king shag (Leucocarbo carunculatus ), also known as the rough-faced shag, king shag or kawau, is a rare bird endemic to New Zealand. Some taxonomic authorities, including the International Ornithologists' Union, place this species in the genus Leucocarbo. Others place it in the genus Phalacrocorax.

Appearance

It is a large (76 cm long, 2.5 kg in weight) black and white cormorant with pink feet. White patches on the wings appear as bars when the wings are folded. Yellow-orange swellings (caruncles) are found above the base of the bill. The grey gular pouch is reddish in the breeding season. A blue eye-ring indicates its kinship with the other blue-eyed shags.

Distribution

Geography

Countries
Biogeographical realms

New Zealand king shags can be seen from the Cook Strait ferries in Queen Charlotte Sound opposite the beginning of the Tory Channel. They live in the coastal waters of the Marlborough Sounds where they are known to breed only on rocky islets at four small sites.

Habits and Lifestyle

Lifestyle
Seasonal behavior
Bird's call

Diet and Nutrition

Population

References

1. New Zealand king shag Wikipedia article - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Zealand_king_shag
2. New Zealand king shag on The IUCN Red List site - https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/22696846/133555760
3. Xeno-canto bird call - https://xeno-canto.org/664271

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