EntdeckenVögel

European Shag

Gulosus aristotelis

The European Shag is a sleek, dark bird that loves to dive into the water to catch fish. With its long neck and sharp beak, it is a great swimmer and can often be seen drying its wings on rocks after a swim.

Lebensraum: Coastal areas

Aussehen

The European Shag has glossy green-black plumage and a distinctive crest of feathers on its head during breeding season. Its face features a yellow patch at the base of its slender, hooked bill, differentiating it from other dark seabirds.

ReichAnimaliaStammChordataKlasseAvesOrdnungSuliformesFamiliePhalacrocoracidaeGattungPhalacrocorax

European Shag

Kategorie

Vögel

Seltenheit

Common

Gefahr

1/5 · Sehr gering

Snaps

Mach den ersten Snap!

Interessante Fakten

After diving, shags often perch with wings spread wide, looking like black crucifixes.

Shags swallow their fish headfirst to prevent scales and fins from getting stuck!

They build nests with seaweed, twigs, and even human rubbish like plastic.

Young shags make a unique croaking sound, very different from adult calls.

Besondere Fähigkeiten

European Shag has strong, webbed feet positioned at its rear, allowing them to power through water like torpedoes to chase fish.

European Shag has a strong, hooked bill perfect for grasping slippery fish, ensuring its catches don't escape underwater.

European Shag can squeeze air from its feathers and lungs, letting them control how deep they sink while hunting prey.

Maße und Details

Länge: 65-80 cm
Flügelspannweite: 90-110 cm
Gewicht: 1.5-2.2 kg
Lebenserwartung: 10-15 Jahre
Top Speed: 70 km/h
Gelegegröße: 2-4
Brutzeit: 28-31 Tage

Ernährung und Fütterung

These birds are expert underwater hunters, mainly eating small fish and some marine invertebrates.

Hauptnahrung

Ammodytes marinus
Sprattus sprattus
Trisopterus minutus
Pleuronectes platessa
Gobius paganellus

Nahrungssuche

Pursuit

Ökologische Zusammenhänge

hunts

Sandeel

Ammodytes marinus

A primary food source for shags.

hunts

Sprat

Sprattus sprattus

An important small fish prey species.

eaten by

Great Black-backed Gull

Larus marinus

Preys on shag eggs and chicks.

Merkmale

Gefiedert

Gefiedert beschreibt Tiere, hauptsächlich Vögel, die ein Federkleid besitzen.

Schwimmfüße

Zeichnet sich durch Zehen aus, die durch eine Membran verbunden sind und normalerweise das Schwimmen erleichtern.

Sozial

Soziale Tiere leben in organisierten Gruppen und kooperieren, um ihr Überleben zu sichern, beispielsweise bei der Nahrungssuche, Verteidigung und Aufzucht der Jungen.