New Zealand King Shag (Leucocarbo carunculatus)
Illustration redrawn by AI from a real photograph

New Zealand King Shag

Leucocarbo carunculatus (Gmelin, JF, 1789)

76 cmLength2.6 kgWeight

The New Zealand king shag (Leucocarbo carunculatus), also known as the rough-faced shag, king shag or kawau pāteketeke, is a rare bird endemic to New Zealand.

Busiest months: November · Most records: New Zealand

Vulnerable

Where and when it's recorded

New Zealand King Shag has been recorded at 4 of the 8,171 birding hotspots we track, in 1 country or region.

Records by month Southern Hemisphere

Where it's recorded most

  1. Queen Charlotte SoundNew Zealand523 records
  2. Blumine Island | OruawairuaNew Zealand138 records
  3. Cook Strait FerryNew Zealand31 records
More places
  1. Abel Tasman NP – Marahau EstuaryNew Zealand1 record

Countries and regions with the most records

New Zealand

eBird records via GBIF up to 2024-12-31. A record means someone listed it; more records partly mean more birders, not more birds.

About

The New Zealand king shag (Leucocarbo carunculatus), also known as the rough-faced shag, king shag or kawau pāteketeke, is a rare bird endemic to New Zealand. Some taxonomic authorities, including the International Ornithologists' Union, place this species in the genus Leucocarbo. Others place it in the genus Phalacrocorax.

Excerpt from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0 · authors · Read more on Wikipedia

Questions

How big is the New Zealand King Shag?

The New Zealand King Shag is about 76 cm long and weighs around 2.6 kg.

Where does the New Zealand King Shag live?

Its breeding range: Australasia: Cook Strait islands (north of South Island, New Zealand). It is most often recorded in New Zealand.

When is the best time to see the New Zealand King Shag?

At the hotspots we track, it is recorded most in November (Southern Hemisphere).

Is the New Zealand King Shag endangered?

The IUCN Red List classifies the New Zealand King Shag as Vulnerable.

What does the New Zealand King Shag eat?

Main food: Fish, shrimp & shellfish.

What family is the New Zealand King Shag in?

It belongs to the family Cormorants, Shags (Phalacrocoracidae), order Suliformes.

At a glance

Length
76 cm
Weight
2.6 kg
Habitat
Ocean
Diet
Fish, shrimp & shellfish
Lifestyle
On the water surface
Migration
Partial migrant
Conservation
Vulnerable
More measurements
Wing
288 mm
Tail
120 mm
Bill
75 mm
Tarsus
64 mm

Averages from the AVONET dataset; length from field guides where available.

Range

Australasia: Cook Strait islands (north of South Island, New Zealand)

Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2

Classification

Family
Cormorants, Shags Phalacrocoracidae
Genus
Leucocarbo

Other birds in the genus Leucocarbo

Rock ShagRock ShagLeucocarbo magellanicusGuanay CormorantGuanay CormorantLeucocarbo bougainvilliorumBounty ShagBounty ShagLeucocarbo ranfurlyiChatham Islands ShagChatham Islands ShagLeucocarbo onslowiStewart Island ShagStewart Island ShagLeucocarbo chalconotusAuckland ShagAuckland ShagLeucocarbo colensoiCampbell ShagCampbell ShagLeucocarbo campbelliImperial ShagImperial ShagLeucocarbo atricepsPygmy CormorantPygmy CormorantMicrocarbo pygmaeusReed CormorantReed CormorantMicrocarbo africanus
New Zealand King Shag

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Free to use with credit: “Illustration: Bird Album (birdalbum.com)”. Drawn by AI from a reference photo by Ben Zerante. ↗

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