- Leucocarbo nivalis
Phalacrocorax nivalis
Identification
68–76 cm (26¾-30 in)
- Long crest
- Black overall plumage with greenish or bluish gloss
Distribution
Heard Island in the southern Indian Ocean.
Taxonomy
This is a monotypic species which is sometimes included as a subspecies in Imperial Shag.
Sometimes placed in the genus Phalacrocorax.
Habitat
Rocky sea coasts.
Behaviour
Diet
They generally feed by pursuit diving. Little other information is available.
References
- Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, D. Roberson, T. A. Fredericks, B. L. Sullivan, and C. L. Wood. 2017. The eBird/Clements checklist of birds of the world: v2017, with updates to August 2017. Downloaded from http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/
- Dickinson, EC, ed. 2003. The Howard and Moore Complete Checklist of the Birds of the World. 3rd ed., with updates to October 2008 (Corrigenda 8). Princeton: Princeton Univ. Press. ISBN 978-0691117010
- Gill, F and D Donsker (Eds). 2010. IOC World Bird Names (version 2.7). Available at http://www.worldbirdnames.org/.
- Thread in the taxonomy forum discussing the different splits and lumps around Imperial Shag
- Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive (retrieved Nov 2017)
Recommended Citation
- BirdForum Opus contributors. (2024) Heard Island Shag. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 2 May 2024 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Heard_Island_Shag