The pied shag (also known as Yellow-faced cormorant) - Phalacrocorax varius - is a large predominantly black and white shag which primarily inhabits inshore coastal waters and estuaries.Two subspecies are recognised; Phalacrocorax varius varius found in New Zealand, and Phalacrocorax varius hyploleucus found in Australia. Colonies are located pretty much all around New Zealand - the East Cape, Bay of Plenty, Coromandel, Auckland, Northland, Wellington, Nelson, Marlborough, Canterbury, Fiordland, Southland and Stewart Island. They eat a variety of fish, mainly yellow-bellied flounder and yellow-eyed mullet, carp and eel, shrimp and spiny crayfish. In New Zealand they roost and nest in trees, and build their nests of sticks, twigs, plants and debris. They breed at any time of the year, layin... read moreg three to four pale blue eggs. Each egg is laid two days apart. The incubation period varies from about 31 days for the first egg, 29 days for the second, 27 days for the third, 26 days for the fourth egg. Both parents incubate and guard the nest, and are involved in feeding their young up to 80 days after fledging.
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