New Zealand king shag facts for kids
Quick facts for kids New Zealand king shag |
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| New Zealand king shags | |
| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Leucocarbo
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| Species: |
carunculatus
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| Synonyms | |
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Phalacrocorax carunculatus |
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The New Zealand king shag (Leucocarbo carunculatus) is a special and rare bird. It is also known as the rough-faced shag, king shag, or kawau. This bird is endemic to New Zealand. This means it lives only in New Zealand and nowhere else in the world.
Some bird experts place this species in the group called Leucocarbo. Other experts place it in the group called Phalacrocorax.
What Does the King Shag Look Like?
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The New Zealand king shag is a large bird. It can be about 76 centimeters (30 inches) long. It weighs around 2.5 kilograms (5.5 pounds). This bird is black and white with pink feet. It is a type of cormorant, which is a diving bird that catches fish.
When its wings are folded, you can see white patches that look like bars. Above its beak, it has yellow-orange bumps called caruncles. The skin under its chin, called the gular pouch, is usually grey. During the time they lay eggs, this skin turns reddish. A blue ring around its eye shows it is related to other blue-eyed shags.
Where Do King Shags Live?
New Zealand king shags live in the coastal waters of the Marlborough Sounds. You can sometimes spot them from the Cook Strait ferries. They are often seen in Queen Charlotte Sound, near the start of the Tory Channel.
These birds are known to breed only in a few places. They build their nests on rocky islands in the Marlborough Sounds. There are only four small breeding sites known for them.
