Spotted Shag (Stictocarbo punctatus) Cormorant with spots, on rocks Porpoise Bay, Curio Bay Cliffs, blue ocean background. Catlins, New Zealand bird

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This Spotted Shag standing on a rocky platform of the headland at Porpoise Bay was part of a large group of Spotted Shags, numbering around 30. Other names: spotted shag, spotted cormorant, parekareka, kawau tikitiki, blue shag. Identification: The Spotted Shag, Spotted Cormorant, is endemic to New Zealand and is medium sized slim marine shag, grey-blue in colour with a very slender long bill and yellow-orange feet. Breeding adult birds have distinct small black spots on their grey and brown coloured back and wings, with pale grey-blue underparts, with the thighs, rump and tail being black. Spotted Shag is closely related to the Pitt Island shag, both of which are the only species of shag endemic to NZ that have creamy yellow feet. Image Location: Porpoise Bay / Curio Bay Cliffs Headland, Catlins, South Island, New Zealand

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Size: 5000px × 3333px
Location: Porpoise Bay / Curio Bay Cliffs Headland, Catlins, South Island, New Zealand
Photo credit: © Caroline Ord-Hume / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No

Keywords: bay, bird, birds, blue, catlins, coastal, cormorant, cormorants, estuary, footed, grey, kawau, large, nz, parekareka, porpoise, punctatus, shag, shags, spots, spotted, stictocarbo, tikitiki, wildlife, yellow, zealand