Pied Shag.NZ, Bernard Spragg Photo

Pied shags mainly inhabit coastal habitats about much of New Zealand. Adults have the crown, back of the neck, mantle, rump, wings, thighs and tail black, although on close inspection the upper wing coverts are grey-black with a thin black border. The face, throat, sides of neck and underparts are white. The long, hooked beak is grey, the iris is green, and legs and feet black. On breeding adults, the skin in front of the eye is yellow, at the base of beak is pink or pink-red, and the eye-ring is blue. Non-breeding adults have paler skin colours than breeders. The upperparts of juveniles and immatures have dark and pale brown tones. Their underparts are white but with varying amounts of brown mottling, from almost entirely brown to little at all. The skin in front of eye is pale yellow, at the base of the beak is grey - pale pink, and eye-ring is grey.