Shag Island (South Australia) facts for kids

Shag Island is a small, low island located in South Australia. It sits right at the mouth of Fisherman's Bay, which is part of the larger Spencer Gulf.

This island is about 22 hectares (that's like 54 football fields!) in size. Its highest point is only about 4 metres (13 feet) above the water. No people live on Shag Island, but it's a very important home for thousands of birds called cormorants. These birds use the island to rest and build their nests. The waters around Shag Island are also a special "nursery" where young fish grow up safely.

In April 2013, people became worried when they found some sick and dead cormorants near Fisherman's Bay. This made them concerned about the health of the large cormorant group living on Shag Island. This discovery happened at the same time as other reports of many fish and dolphins dying in areas like Spencer Gulf and Gulf St. Vincent.

Wildlife on Shag Island

Shag Island is a busy place for many different types of birds. It's especially known for its large groups of cormorants. These birds are great at diving underwater to catch fish.

Bird Species

Here are some of the birds that have been seen living or visiting Shag Island:

• Great cormorant: A large, dark cormorant.
• Little black cormorant: A smaller, all-black cormorant.
• Pied cormorant: This cormorant has black and white feathers.
• Little pied cormorant: A smaller version of the pied cormorant.
• Red-necked stint: A small shorebird that visits the island.
• Sharp-tailed sandpiper: Another type of shorebird often seen near the water.
• Red-capped plover: A small bird with a distinctive red cap.
• Banded stilt: A unique wading bird with black and white stripes.
• Bar-tailed godwit: A long-billed bird that migrates to the area.
• Grey plover: A medium-sized shorebird.
• Common greenshank: A wading bird with greenish legs.
• Masked lapwing: A bird known for its loud call and yellow face mask.