South Georgia Shag
A species of Cormorant Scientific name : Leucocarbo georgianus Genus : Cormorant
South Georgia Shag, A species of Cormorant
Botanical name: Leucocarbo georgianus
Genus: Cormorant
Content
Description General Info
Description
The imperial shag has a total length of 70–79 cm (28–31 in) and weighs 1.8–3.5 kg (4.0–7.7 lb), with males usually larger than females. It is endowed with glossy black feathers covering most of its body, with a white belly and neck. It possesses a distinctive ring of blue skin around its eyes, an orange-yellow nasal knob, pinkish legs and feet, and an erectile black crest. During the non-breeding season, adults lack the crest, have a duller facial area, and less/no white to the back/wings. It has a serrated bill used for catching fish. The group varies primarily in the amount of white on the cheeks/ear-coverts, wing-coverts and back. Most taxa have white cheeks and ear-coverts, but these are black in albiventer, purpurascens and melanogenis. Chicks are uniform brownish, and immatures are brownish and white (instead of black and white), have dull facial skin, and lack the orange-yellow nasal knob and blue eye-ring. 
Size
75 cm
Feeding Habits
South Georgia Shag sustains itself on a diet of small benthic fish, crustaceans, and invertebrates. These shags dive approximately 25 meters deep, primarily hunting inshore. Notably, they exhibit a preference for Argentine anchoita. Some populations venture offshore for feeding.
Habitat
South Georgia Shag predominantly inhabits marine environments, thriving as an inshore feeder. Its breeding grounds are typically found on remote islets and rugged coastal areas, favoring the ledges and terraces on sea cliffs and stacks. These birds also make breeding territories on flatter terrains, which may be adorned with dense tussock grass.
Dite type
Piscivorous
General Info
Species Status
Overall this species is not considered threatened and is consequently listed as Least Concern by BirdLife International and IUCN. Most subspecies are relatively common with estimates of over 10,000 pairs of each
Scientific Classification
Phylum
Chordates Class
Birds Order
Gannets and Relatives Family
Cormorants Genus
Cormorant Species
South Georgia Shag 
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