Auckland Shag
Encyclopedia
The Auckland Shag or Auckland Islands Shag is a species of cormorant
from New Zealand
. The species is endemic to the Auckland Islands
archipelago
. It is a sedentary bird that primarily eats various crustaceans and fish. In recent years, roughly 1,000 pairs have been recorded. The Auckland Shag is a colonial nester, building sizeable nests of, among other items, grass, twigs and seaweed. The Auckland Shag lays three pale blue-green eggs in November-February. The incubation
period for the Auckland Shag is 26–32 days.
The Auckland Shag is considered vulnerable
by the IUCN due to its small population size and restricted global range. Only around 2000 Auckland Shags exist in their remote habitat.
The binomial name of this bird commemorates the naturalist William Colenso
.
Cormorant
The bird family Phalacrocoracidae is represented by some 40 species of cormorants and shags. Several different classifications of the family have been proposed recently, and the number of genera is disputed.- Names :...
from New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
. The species is endemic to the Auckland Islands
Auckland Islands
The Auckland Islands are an archipelago of the New Zealand Sub-Antarctic Islands and include Auckland Island, Adams Island, Enderby Island, Disappointment Island, Ewing Island, Rose Island, Dundas Island and Green Island, with a combined area of...
archipelago
Archipelago
An archipelago , sometimes called an island group, is a chain or cluster of islands. The word archipelago is derived from the Greek ἄρχι- – arkhi- and πέλαγος – pélagos through the Italian arcipelago...
. It is a sedentary bird that primarily eats various crustaceans and fish. In recent years, roughly 1,000 pairs have been recorded. The Auckland Shag is a colonial nester, building sizeable nests of, among other items, grass, twigs and seaweed. The Auckland Shag lays three pale blue-green eggs in November-February. The incubation
Avian incubation
Incubation refers to the process by which certain oviparous animals hatch their eggs, and to the development of the embryo within the egg. The most vital factor of incubation is the constant temperature required for its development over a specific period. Especially in domestic fowl, the act of...
period for the Auckland Shag is 26–32 days.
The Auckland Shag is considered vulnerable
Vulnerable species
On 30 January 2010, the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species identified 9694 Vulnerable species, subspecies and varieties, stocks and sub-populations.-References:...
by the IUCN due to its small population size and restricted global range. Only around 2000 Auckland Shags exist in their remote habitat.
The binomial name of this bird commemorates the naturalist William Colenso
William Colenso
William Colenso was a Cornish Christian missionary to New Zealand, and also a printer, botanist, explorer and politician.-Life:Born in Penzance, Cornwall, he was the cousin of John William Colenso, Bishop of Natal...
.