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Shag - Pabbay - Western Isles Birds
(Click Image for Larger Pictures) |
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Shag - Pabbay
Ref:SH8000
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Shags - Butt of lewis
Ref:SH8001
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Shags - Pabbay
Ref:SH8000
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Shag - seen from the Seatrek boat - on Pabbay Island - Western Isles |
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Shag - seen Oct 2009 at the Butt of Lewis. |
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Shags seen from the Seatrek boat - Island Trip to Pabbay and the Lagoon |
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Shag - Pabbay
Ref:SH9000
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Shags - Ghiiordail
Ref:SH2032
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Shag on Ledge - Butt of lewis
Ref:SH2000
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Shag swimming near The Isle of Pabbay - Western Isles |
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Graceful - this shag - looks such a stately bird on the calm sea at Ghiiordail - Tolsta |
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Shags - Butt of Lewis. Shags at the nest often hiss with wide-open bills, exposing their bright yellow mouths. |
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Shags - Butt of lewis
Ref:SH2003
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Shag Spreading Wings- Butt of lewis
Ref:SH2001
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Shag in Flight - Butt of lewis
Ref:SH4000
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Shag - seen July 2009 at the Butt of Lewis. Shags leap clear of water when diving for fish. |
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Shag July 2009 - the Butt of Lewis. Shags breed on all exposed rocky coasts usually nesting on low ledges |
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Shag in Flight. Aug 2009 Shags Grunt and croaks - very rasping - during the breeding season. |
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Shags - Butt of lewis
Ref:SH2006
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Shag - Isle of Lewis
Ref:SH2004 |
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Shags - Butt of lewis
Ref:SH2005
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A pair of shags - seen July 2009 at the Butt of Lewis. |
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When swimming the shag holds its its head horizontal. Shags often stand with wings spread. |
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A pair of shags - seen July 2009 at the Butt of Lewis. Shags seldom perch on anything other than rocks |
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Shags - Butt of lewis
Ref:SH2009
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Shags - Butt of lewis
Ref:SH2010
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Shags - Butt of lewis
Ref:SH2011
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This shag looks so proud - Isle of Lewis July 2009 |
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This group of shags along with the herring gull - Isle of Lewis Jul 2009 |
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Stretching its wings - ready for flight or just drying its wings - Butt of Lewis - July 2009 |
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Shags - Butt of lewis
Ref:SH2012
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Shags - Butt of lewis
Ref:SH2012
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| Another shag - lovely birds - Isle of Lewis JULY 2009 |
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Another shag - lovely birds - Isle of Lewis JULY 2009 |
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SHAGS - WESTERN ISLES BIRDS SIGHTINGS
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As I am a novice I find that it can be difficult sometimes to ascertain whether the bird I am looking at actually a shag or a cormorant. I have recently gleaned the following info from. persons with more experience than myself.
Patch at Base of Bill
Cormorants have a yellowish patch at the base of the bill which is greyish. Shags have a washed out dull yellowish bill. Cormorants have heavier bills
Head Shape
Another pointer is the head shape although this can vary of course in what the bird is doing. Shags have a peaked crown compared to flat one of Cormorant
Crest
Shags produce distinctive shaggy crests on their heads during breeding season, while cormorants do not.
Size
Shags generally are smaller than cormorants, with narrower beaks and leaner bodies
Flight
The shags normal flight is low, close to sea, while the Cormorant often flies high.. |
| Bird Overview - Shags |
Family |
Cormorants and shags |
Latin name |
Phalacrocorax aristotelis |
Population |
Common |
Similar Species |
Cormorant |
Description |
Easy to get identified incorrectly as a "cormorant" as they appear somewhat similar - the shag is slightly smaller - and has a longer neck. Shags have thinner bills - cormorants bills also seem to be set into their skulls and thicker necks.
Shags have a thin - snake -like neck and the bill is thin enough (you could imagine) to "snap off" making a sharp angle to the forehead. The shags bill is black with yellow gape. The plumage is black with a greenish gloss and this bird is sometimes called the "green cormorant". In breeding season this bird has a forward-curved crest on its head. The sexes are very similar looking. The young birds are brown without the gloss.
Their flight is like that of the cormorant except that their wings beat more rapidly - their neck is fully extended and they hug the sea closely.
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Size |
65 - 80 cm 25 - 31ins - 1850 g. (Sometimes mistaken for a cormorant - but a cormorant is larger being 90cm/2.5kg)
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Habitat |
More of a deep water bird than the cormorant - sometimes solitary - however flocks of several hundred shags gather together to take advantage of a large shoal of fish. Mainly rocky coasts and harbours. Rare on inland waters.
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Food |
Fish - mainly sand eels and herrings. Occasionally crustacea and molluscs.
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Voice |
Grunts and croaks - very rasping - during the breeding season. Rest of the time the shags are silent - particularly in The Winter.
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Breeding |
The shags - seen on the Western Isles - these birds are early breeders - nesting being usually timed such that their young are in the nest when most sand eels are available in May and June - but occasionally nests are found in the winter.
Fresh material is added to the nest throughout the breeding season. The shag builds its nest out of vegetation such as seaweed and dead stems of plants.
The long fledgling period of 55 days is followed by a further 4 weeks during which the adults still feed and tend the young. The female chicks lose their voice after 5 weeks and are only able to hiss and click. There are 305 eggs and Incubation is 30days - with birds fledging at 55 days. |
Misc. Info |
Shags take 4 years to mature and once adult have a high life expectancy. Young birds are prone to disorientation in adverse weather and sometimes end up inland in large numbers. Such influxes are called "wrecks". |
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