Phalacrocorax melanoleucos

What a handsome winged thing...

This is a Little Shag, one of the smallest of the world's cormorant species. It lives along the coasts of New Zealand, Australia, Malaysia, and Indonesia. Its distinctive traits include its small size, stubby yellow bill, and striking pied plumage. The extent of the white on its front varies quite a bit throughout the species, though most birds found in New Zealand are the white-throated form, like the one above.

Cormorants and shags are found throughout the world, primarily along coastlines, though some, like the Double-Crested Cormorant of North America, are found very far inland. There are about 40 species in the family. Whether a species is designated a "cormorant" or "shag" is ultimately arbitrary, though often shags sport a flashy crest while cormorants do not. Shags are also much more common of the southern hemisphere, and cormorants of the north. New Zealand has 12 native species of shag, 8 of which are endemic, making it a top destination for admirers of Phalacrocoracidae. (I dare you to try and pronounce that.)

I came upon this one suddenly as I was walking along the Wellington waterfront. I think we were equally startled by one another--this is the first one I'd ever seen. After I watched it for a while it took off, presumably to its favourite fishing spot. I continued on and eventually turned around, and as I came upon this spot again, it was back. Luckily for those of us who enjoy the beauty of birds, cormorants' feathers are water permeable, so after they leave the water, they have to splay their wings out like this to dry them, incidentally making themselves into very pretty shapes. It's hard to look at this and not imagine them saying, "so what do you think of my pretty wings?"