Blue-eyed shag
Encyclopedia
The blue-eyed shags are a group of closely related cormorant
taxa. All have a blue, purple or red ring around the eye (not a blue iris); other shared features are white underparts (at least in some individuals) and pink feet.
They are found around the colder parts of the Southern Hemisphere
, especially near southern South America
, Antarctica, and New Zealand
. Many are endemic to remote islands. Determining which types are species and which are subspecies of what larger species is problematic; various recent authorities have recognized from 8 to 14 species and have placed them in a variety of genera. The common names are even more confusing, "like myriad footprints criss-crossing in the snow and about as easy to disentangle." Only one common name is given for most species here.
Delimiting this group after Nelson but assigning species limits after HANZAB gives the following species list, divided into two "complexes":
If Leucocarbo is considered a distinct genus (which would probably require splitting up Phalacrocorax for the largest part), the Guanay Cormorant
would also seem to belong here; alternatively, Leucocarbo could be expanded by several American species (including the Flightless Cormorant
and Rock Shag
). See Cormorant species in phylogenetic sequence for further information.
Cormorant
The bird family Phalacrocoracidae is represented by some 40 species of cormorants and shags. Several different classifications of the family have been proposed recently, and the number of genera is disputed.- Names :...
taxa. All have a blue, purple or red ring around the eye (not a blue iris); other shared features are white underparts (at least in some individuals) and pink feet.
They are found around the colder parts of the Southern Hemisphere
Southern Hemisphere
The Southern Hemisphere is the part of Earth that lies south of the equator. The word hemisphere literally means 'half ball' or "half sphere"...
, especially near southern South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
, Antarctica, and New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
. Many are endemic to remote islands. Determining which types are species and which are subspecies of what larger species is problematic; various recent authorities have recognized from 8 to 14 species and have placed them in a variety of genera. The common names are even more confusing, "like myriad footprints criss-crossing in the snow and about as easy to disentangle." Only one common name is given for most species here.
Delimiting this group after Nelson but assigning species limits after HANZAB gives the following species list, divided into two "complexes":
- Imperial ShagImperial ShagThe Imperial Shag, Phalacrocorax atriceps, is a black and white cormorant native to many subantarctic islands, the Antarctic Peninsula and southern South America, primarily in rocky coastal regions, but locally also at large inland lakes. It is sometimes placed in the genus Leucocarbo instead...
or Blue-eyed Shag, Phalacrocorax atriceps- White-bellied Shag or King Cormorant, Phalacrocorax (atriceps) albiventer
- Antarctic Shag, Phalacrocorax (atriceps) bransfieldensis
- South Georgia Shag, Phalacrocorax (atriceps) georgianus
- Heard ShagHeard ShagThe Heard Island Shag , or Heard Island Cormorant, is a marine cormorant native to the Australian territory comprising the Heard and McDonald Islands in the Southern Ocean, about 4100 km south-west of Perth, Western Australia.-Taxonomy:The Heard Island Shag is one of the blue-eyed shags,...
, Phalacrocorax (atriceps) nivalis - Crozet Shag, Phalacrocorax (atriceps) melanogenis
- Macquarie ShagMacquarie ShagThe Macquarie Shag , Macquarie Island Shag or Macquarie Island Cormorant, is a marine cormorant native to Macquarie Island in the Southern Ocean, about halfway between Australia and Antarctica....
, Phalacrocorax (atriceps) purpurascens
- Kerguelen ShagKerguelen ShagThe Kerguelen Shag is a species of cormorant endemic to the Kerguelen Islands. Many authorities consider it a subspecies of the Imperial Shag.-Range and habitat:...
, Phalacrocorax (atriceps) verrucosus
- King ShagKing ShagThe Rough-faced Shag , also known as New Zealand King Shag or King Shag, is a rare bird endemic to New Zealand.- Description :...
or Rough-faced Shag, Phalacrocorax carunculatus - Stewart Island ShagStewart Island ShagThe Bronze Shag , also known as the Stewart Island Shag or Stewart Shag, is a species of shag endemic to the southernmost parts of the South Island of New Zealand, from the Otago Peninsula south to the Foveaux Strait, and to Stewart Island/Rakiura, from which it takes its name.The species is...
, Phalacrocorax chalconotus - Chatham Shag, Phalacrocorax onslowi
- Auckland ShagAuckland ShagThe Auckland Shag or Auckland Islands Shag is a species of cormorant from New Zealand. The species is endemic to the Auckland Islands archipelago. It is a sedentary bird that primarily eats various crustaceans and fish. In recent years, roughly 1,000 pairs have been recorded...
, Phalacrocorax colensoi - Campbell Shag, Phalacrocorax campbelli
- Bounty Shag, Phalacrocorax ranfurlyi
If Leucocarbo is considered a distinct genus (which would probably require splitting up Phalacrocorax for the largest part), the Guanay Cormorant
Guanay Cormorant
The Guanay Cormorant or Guanay Shag is a member of the cormorant family found in on the Pacific coast of Peru and northern Chile...
would also seem to belong here; alternatively, Leucocarbo could be expanded by several American species (including the Flightless Cormorant
Flightless Cormorant
The Flightless Cormorant , also known as the Galapagos Cormorant, is a cormorant native to the Galapagos Islands, and an example of the highly unusual fauna there. It is unique in that it is the only cormorant that has lost the ability to fly...
and Rock Shag
Rock Shag
The Rock Shag , also known as the Magellanic cormorant, is a marine cormorant found around the southernmost coasts of South America. Its breeding range is from around Valdivia, Chile, south to Cape Horn and Tierra del Fuego, and north to Punta Tombo in Argentina...
). See Cormorant species in phylogenetic sequence for further information.