European shag
Recent evidence suggests that birds on the Atlantic coast of southwest Europe are distinct from all three, and may be an as-yet undescribed subspecies.It is distinguished from the great cormorant by its smaller size, lighter build, thinner bill, and, in breeding adults, by the crest and metallic green-tinged sheen on the feathers.[12] European shags are preponderantly benthic zone feeders, i.e. they find their prey on the sea bottom.[13][14][15][16] Evidence collected at one colony, the Isle of May, Scotland, between 1985 and 2014, suggests that shag chick diet composition in this population has diversified in response to ocean warming.[17] Shags also feed on fewer sandeel on windy days, presumably due to the strong effect of wind on flight in this species.[18] The year-round diet of full-grown shags at this colony has also changed over the past 3 decades, from sandeel specialists to an increasingly diverse prey base.
Conservation statusLeast ConcernIUCN 3.1Scientific classificationEukaryotaAnimaliaChordataSuliformesPhalacrocoracidaeMontaguBinomial nameLinnaeusSynonymscormorantmonotypicwinteringBritainseabirdphilosopherAristotlePhalacrocoraxNannopterumLeucocarbosubspeciesPayraudeauBlack SeaHartertcormorantsgreat cormorantfeathersdepth gaugesbenthic zonesand eeloxygenbloodstreamseaweedbenthicIsle of Mayocean warmingSaltee IslandsFarne IslandsIsles of ScillyDeernessFowlsheughIcelandDenmarkFaroe IslandsGaliciaDalmatiaIstriaMonacoCíes IslandsMalinska, CroatiaMuseum WiesbadenCroatiaOrkneyIUCN Red List of Threatened SpeciesBritish BirdsBibcodeInternet Bird CollectionXeno-cantoFrigatebirdsfamilySpeciesFregataMagnificent frigatebirdAscension frigatebirdChristmas Island frigatebirdGreat frigatebirdLesser frigatebirdGannets and boobiesBlue-footed boobyPeruvian boobyMasked boobyNazca boobyRed-footed boobyBrown boobyAbbott's boobyNorthern gannetCape gannetAustralasian gannetDartersAnhingaOriental darterAfrican darterAustralasian darterSocotra cormorantBank cormorantPitt shagSpotted shagPied cormorantBlack-faced cormorantLittle black cormorantIndian cormorantCape cormorantWhite-breasted cormorantJapanese cormorantMicrocarboCrowned cormorantLittle cormorantPygmy cormorantLittle pied cormorantReed cormorantBrandt's cormorantPelagic cormorantRed-faced cormorantSpectacled cormorantDouble-crested cormorantNeotropic cormorantFlightless cormorantGulosusPoikilocarboRed-legged cormorantRock shagGuanay cormorantNew Zealand king shagFoveaux shagOtago shagChatham shagAuckland shagCampbell shagBounty shagImperial shagHeard Island shagCrozet shagAntarctic shag