Shags are dark, goose-sized birds with long necks. They look similar to Cormorants but are smaller and slimmer with a distinctive steep forehead. In the breeding season, adults develop a dark glossy green plumage and an obvious crest (head …

The European shag or common shag (Gulosus aristotelis) is a species of cormorant. It is the only member of the monotypic genus Gulosus. [2] It breeds around the rocky coasts of western and southern Europe, southwest Asia and north Africa, mainly wintering in its …

The Shag is very much a coastal bird, breeding exclusively around our rocky shores during the summer months and not moving very far during the winter. It’s long thin bill, peaked forehead and small yellow gape set it apart from its close cousin the Cormorant.

Shags are large, dark waterbirds, a little bit smaller than cormorants. They feed on fish, which they catch with their long, hook-tipped bills while swimming underwater. Shags nest on cliffs around our coasts, but are very rarely seen inland. They can often be spotted perched on a rock or bank with their wings held out.

Shags are residents of the UK’s rocky coasts, with over half the population nesting at fewer than ten sites, particularly in the north and west. These birds are relatively sedentary, usually staying within 100-200 km of their breeding sites.

A black, reptilian-looking bird swims by low to the water - but is it a Cormorant or a Shag? Cormorants are more familiar and wide-spread, although Shags are more numerous. Let us help you to separate these two similar-looking species of water bird.

The shag is medium-to-large dark-feathered, reptilian-looking bird. It is a widespread resident breeding species in coastal regions throughout Scotland. Although similar to the cormorant, shags are smaller, slimmer, with a steep forehead and narrower bill.

Jul 12, 2023 · The European Shag or Common Shag (Phalacrocorax aristotelis) is a species of cormorant. It breeds around the rocky coasts of western and southern Europe, southwest Asia, and north Africa, mainly wintering in its breeding range except for northernmost birds. In Britain, this seabird is usually referred to as simply the Shag. Description:

Usually referred to in Britain and Ireland simply as the Shag, this member of the cormorant family is very much a coastal species and rarely strays far inland. Shags are large, long-necked blackish birds that swim low in the water and are very effective at diving and catching fish, on …

In the UK, Shags can be observed year-round, with some birds dispersing to different coastal areas outside the breeding season. The largest colonies of shags are found in northern and western Scotland, on the Orkney, Shetland, and Inner Hebrides islands, and …