Imperial Shag

Imperial Shag Imperial Shag

Phalacrocorax atriceps

Pictures: Teus Luijendijk

This species, which is also called Blue-eyed Shag, forms a bit of a taxonomic minefield, as several different subspecies have sometimes been granted specific status:

atriceps , of the mainland of South America;

albiventer , of the Falklands;

georgianus , on South Georgia, South Orkney and South Sandwich;

bransfieldensis , breeding on South Shetland and the Antarctic peninsula;

melanogenis , on Prince Edward & Marion and Crozet;

verrucosus , on Kerguelen;

nivalis , on Heard; and

purpurascens , on Macquarie.

The continental atriceps is said to have white cheeks, but as can been on the photographs shown here, there apparently are intermediates between atriceps and albiventer that are indistinguishable from the latter (because they also show black cheeks). Or albiventer might just wander from the Falklands into coastal waters....



Imperial Shag Phalacrocorax atriceps videograbs (20x). Beagle Channel, Ushuaia, Argentina, 15 March 2002.