Rock Shags - Phalacrocorax magellanicus - on a jetty on Pebble Island in the Falkland Islands
The Rock Shag or Magellanic cormorant is a marine cormorant found around the southernmost coasts of South America. Its breeding range is from around Valdivia, Chile, south to Cape Horn and Tierra del Fuego, and north to Punta Tombo in Argentina. In winter it is seen further north, with individuals reaching as far as Santiago, Chile on the west coast and Uruguay on the east. The birds also breed around the coasts of the Falkland Islands. At a distance, the Rock Shag is a black and white bird, with head, neck and upper parts black and chest and underparts white. Closer up, the black areas vary from metallic blue to oily green, and are flecked with white in places. The legs and feet are a pink, fleshy colour, and the bare flesh around the beak and eyes is brick red. In breeding condition, there is a blackish though not very prominent crest on the forehead, and a distinctive white ear patch. Like all cormorants, the Rock Shag feeds by diving for underwater prey. It feeds close to shore, often diving at the edge of kelp beds and apparently finding small fish sheltering among the weed.
Size: 3580px × 5370px
Location: Pebble Island in the Falkland Islands
Photo credit: © Steve Allen Travel Photography / Alamy / Afripics
License: Royalty Free
Model Released: No
Keywords: bird, coast, cormorant, falkland, falklands, history, island, islands, magellanic, magellanicus, natural, nature, ornithology, pebble, phalacrocorax, rock, sea, seabird, shag, shags, tourism, travel, wildlife, zoology
