European Shag

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The shag (Phalacrocorax aristotelis) is a large, dark seabird which is superficially very similar to a cormorant which is from the same aquatic bird family; Phalacrocoradinae. The differences between their appearances are that shags are smaller, 65-80 cm in length compared to 80-100 cm for a cormorant. Also, shags have a green, oily sheen to their plumage and steeper foreheads. Juveniles have dark brown upperparts and pale but grubby underparts. Adults have a small yellow patch at the base of the bill and a prominent black crest on their foreheads during breeding season. Below are some blurry attempts of taking a picture of one I saw in the middle of UEA broad.


In the UK they breed on coastal sites mainly in the North and West. They are usually seen in groups on the coast but can be seen individually on lakes and rivers inland. There are 27,000 UK breeding pairs and 110,000 wintering birds. Over half the population are found in less than 10 sites which makes them a Red List species, meaning they are the highest conservation priority. Cormorants are rated green for UK conservation status.




They will fly many miles from their breeding ground in search of food. Their diet consists of mainly fish, the most common being the sand eel. Shags dive under for 20 to 45 seconds with a recovery time of 15 seconds between dives. They swim to the bottom of the water in search for food and can go at least as deep as 45 metres down.

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