Spotted Shag
Phalacrocorax punctatus
The spotted shag or pārekareka is a species of cormorant endemic to New Zealand. Though originally classified as Phalacrocorax punctatus, it is sufficiently different in appearance from typical members of that genus that for a time it was placed in a separate genus, Stictocarbo, along with a similar species, the Pitt shag. Subsequent genetic studies show that the spotted shag's lineage is nested within the typical shags.
- Scientific name
- Phalacrocorax punctatus
- Family
- Cormorants and Shags
- IUCN status
- LC