Spotted shag (Stictocarbo punctatus) in the late afternoon sun on the beach at Miranda on the Firth of Thames. This is a relatively common species of endemic cormorant in New Zealand. The males have a magnificent breeding plumage that I have yet to get a good photograph of.

Spotted shag
Photo taken by Alexei Drummond on 3 January 2011, Firth of Thames, New Zealand
  Next