New Zealand King Shag
Leucocarbo carunculatus
A large, thick-necked black-and-white marine shag endemic to the Marlborough Sounds of New Zealand. Shows pink feet, a distinct white patch on the wings, and a blue eye-ring. Breeding adults have yellow, warty caruncles on either side of the bill. Very wary of humans and boats. Juvenile birds have dull brown upperparts and light facial skin. Similar to the Pied Shag, but white facial feathers remain below the bill; the Pied Shag has a predominantly white face that reaches the eye and a slimmer neck. Stewart Island and Chatham Islands Shag are very similar, but the three do not overlap in range.
Taxonomy
- Scientific name
- Leucocarbo carunculatus
- Authority
- (Gmelin, JF, 1789)
- Order
- Suliformes
- Family
- Phalacrocoracidae
- Genus
- Leucocarbo
Range and habitat
- Migration
- Resident species
Conservation
- Population trend
- stable
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
Pacific Swallow
Hirundo javanica
Common swallow of Southeast Asia and the Pacific, often in cities and towns as well as above fields, lakes, and forests. Adult iridescent blue above and grayish buff below, with orangish throat and forehead. Similar to Barn Swallow, which has longer outer tail feathers and a dark line separating the throat and breast, lacking in Pacific. Frequently perches on telephone lines, often with other swallow species.
Rufous-bellied Woodpecker
Dendrocopos hyperythrus
A beautiful woodpecker with three disjunct populations: an eastern one which breeds in northeastern China and Russia and winters in southeastern China, a western one in the Himalayas, and a southern one in southern mainland Southeast Asia. In all populations, note bright orange neck and belly, as well as black-and-white spotted wings. Bright red crown is found only on the male; the female has a patchy black and white one. Can be found in a wide range of foothill and lowland forest; favors mixed evergreen forests in the Himalayas, and open dry forest in Southeast Asia. Gives a range of rapid chattering calls and has a short, rapid drum which trails off towards the end.
Rufous Spinetail
Synallaxis unirufa
Plain rufous bird with dark lores and long spiky tail. Sexes alike. Uncommon in the upper subtropics and temperate zone, mostly from 2,000–3,200 m. Could be confused with Rufous Wren but smaller and shier with spiky tail and plain unbarred wings. Pairs or small family groups are found low to the ground, often around patches of bamboo, where they can be tricky to see well. Listen for the single “pweep!” call.
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