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Little Pied Cormorant - BirdForum Opus

Revision as of 12:19, 24 January 2023 by Deliatodd-18346 (talk | contribs) (→‎External Links: Multiple GSearches combined)
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Alternative Names: Little Shag (New Zealand)

Photo by Tannin
Victoria, Australia, July 2003
Microcarbo melanoleucos

Identification

Subspecies brevirostris, White-throated phase
Photo by craigwilson
Otago Harbour, New Zealand, April 2017

55–65 cm (21¾-26 in)

  • Black upperparts
  • White underparts
  • Short yellow bill
  • Long tail
  • Black feet

Juvenile has all black plumage

Distribution

Indonesia, Solomon Islands, Australia and New Zealand.

Taxonomy

Formerly placed in genus Phalacrocorax.

Subspecies

Subspecies brevirostris, Pied phase
Photo by craigwilson
Otago Harbour, New Zealand, April 2017

There are 3 subspecies[1]:

  • M. m. melanoleucos:
  • M. m. brevicauda:
  • Rennel Island (Solomon Islands)
  • M. m. brevirostris:

Habitat

Lakes, rivers, swamps etc. They prefer fresh water, but are often seen on the coast too.

Behaviour

Diet

Diet consists of aquatic animals, from insects to fish including freshwater crayfish, shrimps and prawns.

Breeding

The nest is a flat platform of sticks, lined with green leaves and is usually placed in a tree. Both adults share in egg incubation and care of the 3-4 young.

Gallery

Click on photo for larger image

References

  1. Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, D. Roberson, T. A. Fredericks, B. L. Sullivan, and C. L. Wood. 2016. The eBird/Clements checklist of birds of the world: v2016, with updates to August 2016. Downloaded from http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/
  2. BirdsinBackyards
  3. Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive (retrieved March 2017)

Recommended Citation

External Links


Search specifically for Little Shag:

GSearch checked for 2020 platform.1

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