Gulosus aristotelis
The European Shag, *Gulosus aristotelis*, is a medium-sized, sleek marine cormorant, distinguished by its slender build and the prominent, recurved crest displayed by adults during the breeding season. Measuring 65-80 cm in length with a wingspan of 90-105 cm and weighing 1.5-2.2 kg, adults are uniformly glossy greenish-black, sometimes appearing dark bronze, with a distinctive yellow gape patch that contrasts sharply with their dark plumage. Juveniles are duller brown above and paler below. ...
Exclusively coastal, preferring rocky shores, sea cliffs, and offshore islands for breeding and roosting, foraging in inshore marine waters from sea level.
Primarily piscivorous, consuming a wide variety of small- to medium-sized fish (e.g., sandeels, sprats, gobies), occasionally supplemented with crustaceans and molluscs, captured by pursuit diving.
European Shags are highly diurnal and gregarious, often forming large breeding colonies and communal roosts on cliffs or isolated rocks. Their foraging strategy involves pursuit diving, propelled by their powerful webbed feet, allowing them to chase and capture fish underwater. Unlike many other ...
The European Shag is primarily a resident species along the rocky coastlines of Western Europe, the Mediterranean, and the Black Sea. Its breeding range extends from Iceland and Norway in the north, along the Atlantic coasts of the UK, Ireland, France, Spain, and Portugal, through the Mediterrane...
Least Concern
- The name "shag" is thought to come from the old English word "sceacga," referring to its shaggy, crest-like plumage during the breeding season. - European Shags are exceptional divers, regularly reaching depths of 45 meters (150 feet) and recorded as deep as 60 meters (200 feet) or more, holdin...