Hanging out with mates at the wharf

Three pied shags resting together at the marina wharf.

One drying its wings, the other two just sitting resting.

Maori name kahurihuri
Latin name Phalacrocorax varius

There are 36 species of shag/cormorant in the world (the name shag apparently comes from a reference to the crest on the head), 12 of these are found in NZ and of these 8 are endemic - which means they are found nowhere else.

They are classified according to the colour of their feet, yellow, pink or black, and pied shags have black feet.

In most other countries shags are called cormorants.