Photo: Little Shag Picture Catlins Highway Otago South Island New Zealand

These birds, commonly known as 'Little Shag' can also be known by the name of Little Pied Cormorant in Australia. This bird is commonly seen along the Catlins Highway near water in Otago on the South Island of New Zealand.

This Little Shag is quite easily distinguishable from other birds by its long white neck and it's rather short yellow bill. This bird is quite small in size and some species can have an all-black throat. These birds can be found across New Zealand and Australia but always around the coasts and around bodies of water. It likes to stay near water because it holds their source of food and they never travel too far inland.

It mostly likes to be near water due to the fact that it is a feeder of food that is found on the bottom of the sea floor. It also likes to feed by itself and is alone most of the time. It does eat a lot of different kinds of fish but it seems to consume crustaceans the most. As this bird is in New Zealand, it would most likely eat flounder and flatfish.

This Little Shag pictured here is searching the water for food before it takes a dive. ... continue below the picture...

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... Dive times are about 15 to 20 seconds long so this bird will have to do that a lot during the day so that it can feel full.

Little Shag, Phalacrocorax melanoleucos brevirostris, in an estuary near Hinahina along the Southern Scenic Route, Catlin's Highway, Otago, East Coast, South Island, New Zealand.