Macquarie Shag
A species of Cormorant Scientific name : Leucocarbo purpurascens Genus : Cormorant
Macquarie Shag, A species of Cormorant
Botanical name: Leucocarbo purpurascens
Genus: Cormorant
Content
Description General Info
Description
The Macquarie shag has largely black upperparts and white underparts. The upper cheeks and ear-coverts are black; there are white bars on the wings, a black, recurved crest over the forehead, and pink feet. A breeding adult has a pair of orange caruncles above the base of the bill in front of the eyes, orange-brown facial skin at the base of the lower mandible, as well as blue eye-rings. It is about 75 cm in length, with a wingspan of 110 cm and a weight of 2.5–3.5 kg. 
Feeding Habits
Macquarie Shag primarily consume benthic fish, foraging in shallow coastal waters, often feeding in flocks. They exhibit unique dietary preferences for local marine environments.
Habitat
The macquarie Shag principally inhabits marine environments near shorelines with shallow water areas, which shape their foraging zones. These birds breed on coastal regions and are also found on offshore islets and stacks. The largest colonies are typically found on the western coasts of islands, where the underwater terrain provides more extensive feeding grounds.
Dite type
Piscivorous
General Info
Behavior
Macquarie shags are gregarious, roosting in groups of from a few birds up to several hundred.
Distribution Area
The Macquarie shag is restricted to subantarctic Macquarie Island and the nearby Bishop and Clerk Islets, part of the Macquarie group, 33 km to the south. Apart from breeding and roosting, its habitat is marine.
Species Status
The Macquarie shag population was estimated in 2000 to comprise about 760 breeding pairs, including 100 pairs at the Bishop and Clerk Islets. A later (October 2003) survey found 472 nesting pairs in eleven colonies on Macquarie Island itself, indicating a 30% decline. The taxon is listed as Vulnerable under Australia's Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999, because the population is small, localised and subject to fluctuations in breeding success due to weather conditions and food availability. Other threats include predation of nestlings by Subantarctic skuas and black rats.
Scientific Classification
Phylum
Chordates Class
Birds Order
Gannets and Relatives Family
Cormorants Genus
Cormorant Species
Macquarie Shag 
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