Pitt shag

Pitt shag

Pitt island shag, Featherstone's shag

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SPECIES
Phalacrocorax featherstoni

The Pitt shag (Phalacrocorax featherstoni ), also known as the Pitt Island shag or Featherstone's shag is a species of bird in the family Phalacrocoracidae. It is endemic to Pitt Island. Its natural habitats are open seas and rocky shores. It is threatened by habitat loss.

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This representative of the shags in the Chatham Group was discovered by H.H. Travers in 1871. Buller dedicated the species to Dr Featherston, superintendent of the Province of Wellington at that time.

Apparently never a common species, it was reported as nearly extinct in 1905. The Department of Conservation does have a recovery plan for this bird.

Members of the shag family belong to three groups, based on the colour of their feet: black, yellow or pink. Outside New Zealand, the black-footed shags are better known as cormorants. The Pitt shag belongs to the yellow footed group.

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Distribution

Geography

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Biogeographical realms
Pitt shag habitat map
Pitt shag habitat map
Pitt shag
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References

1. Pitt shag Wikipedia article - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pitt_shag
2. Pitt shag on The IUCN Red List site - https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/22696907/132595530
3. Xeno-canto bird call - https://xeno-canto.org/424846

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