Pied shagKāruhiruhi

Pied shag is the party leader species representing all of the unique shag species in Aotearoa. These expert divers eat small fish and marine invertebrates, and can be seen in harbours and estuaries around New Zealand. Fishermen use to regarded the shag as competitors, leading to shags being commonly hunted. Shooting them has been banned since 1931, and their numbers are recovering. They are generally silent outside of nesting colonies, but can be quite vocal (and smelly) when hanging out with friends.