Stats

Lifespan

15-20 yrs

Size

Large

Diet

Carnivore

Activity

Diurnal

Social

Colony

Biome

Marine coast

Range

Southern South America

Movement

Flight

Breeding

Egg-laying

Defense

Speed

Status

Uncommon

About

A colonial seabird of the Falkland Islands and southern South America, the Imperial Shag is instantly recognisable by its vivid blue periorbital ring and bright orange-yellow caruncles at the bill base. It dives to over 25 metres using large webbed feet to pursue fish under water.

Life cycle

1. 1.
   egg

   A clutch of eggs is incubated in the nest, kept warm by a brooding parent until the chicks pip free.
2. 2.
   hatchling

   A naked or downy hatchling is fed in the nest by its parents.
3. 3.
   juvenile

   A feathered juvenile fledges from the nest and learns to fly and forage.
4. 4.
   adult

   Fully grown with adult plumage.

Learn more

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Taxonomy

Kingdom

Animalia

Phylum

Chordata

Class

Aves

Order

Suliformes

Family

Phalacrocoracidae

Genus

Leucocarbo

Species

Leucocarbo atriceps