Antarctic Shag

Leucocarbo nivalis

Antarctic Shag, Leucocarbo nivalis, is a marine cormorant of the subantarctic Heard and McDonald Islands in the Southern Ocean, where it is known to breed only on Heard Island. It is usually treated as a full species and belongs among the blue-eyed shags. The bird is mainly black above and white below, with white cheeks and ear-coverts, white wing bars, a black crest curving over the forehead, and pink feet. Breeding adults also show orange caruncles above the bill and blue eye-rings. It lives year round on Heard Island and nests in colonies.