Spotted Shag (Phalacrocorax punctatus)

About Spotted Shag (Phalacrocorax punctatus)

• Kingdom: Animals
• Phylum: Chordates
• Class: Birds
• Order: Pelicans
• Family: Cormorants

The spotted shag or pārekareka is a species of cormorant endemic to New Zealand. Though originally classified as Phalacrocorax punctatus, it is sufficiently different in appearance from typical members of that genus that for a time it was placed in a separate genus, Stictocarbo, along with a similar species, the Pitt shag. Subsequent genetic studies show that the spotted shag's lineage is nested within the typical shags.

Source: Wikipedia