Little Shags
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Caption
Immature Little Shags at Fountain Lake.
For the definitive identification of NZ Shags, read the paper by R. A. Falla, http://nzetc.victoria.ac.nz/tm/scholarly/tei-Bio02Tuat03-t1-body-d6.html
Tuatara: Volume 2, Issue 3, September 1949. Identification of New Zealand Mainland Shags
"Little Shag (Phalacrocorax brevirostris), variously called “White-throated,” “Little Pied,” or “Frilled.” The diagnostic features are short yellow bill and long tail. The plumage pattern is not uniform: the commonest form when adult is black with a white throat (1 c), and at the other extreme is the “little pied” plumage (1 a). Most young in their first plumage are entirely black (1 b), but the extreme “little pied” form* assumes the white breast with its first plumage. Feet black."
The OSNZ publishes the definitive list of birds, the NZ list of Recognised Bird Names which was last updated in 2009. http://bird.org.nz/index.html You will see from this that the current name is Phalacrocorax melanoleucos
