dries its wings on the jetty posts

Size
Length: 50-60 cm, Weight: 600-800 g
Lifespan
10-15 years
Diet
Carnivorous. Dives for small fish, eels, and crustaceans. Pursues prey underwater using webbed feet. Swallows fish headfirst while still submerged.
Habitat
Freshwater lakes, rivers, swamps, and coastal estuaries. Prefers open water with perching sites such as trees, rocks, or jetties for drying wings.
Range
Native to Australia, New Guinea, and Indonesia. In New Zealand, a rare vagrant to the North Island, occasionally the northern South Island regions.
Endemism
Native
Main Threats
No significant threats in New Zealand due to rarity. In Australia, threatened by wetland drainage, water pollution, and disturbance of breeding colonies.
Population
Common in Australia. In New Zealand, a rare vagrant with most records from the North Island, particularly in the Waikato and Bay of Plenty regions.
Conservation Status
Not Threatened
Human Risk
harmless
Handling Note
colonial nesting shag, do not approach or disturb
Conservation Note
Native shag; widespread in coastal and inland waters throughout New Zealand.
Assessment
NZTCS Birds (2021)
Te Ao Māori
Kawau paka is the Māori name for the little black shag. It means "small shag". In Māori tradition, shags, known as kawau, were birds of the waterways. Their presence marked the health of lakes and rivers. These native relatives were part of the freshwater ecosystem. The little black shag, though rare in New Zealand, belongs to this same tradition of waterbird observation. It connects local wetlands to broader Australasian patterns. The bird remains an outsider in these spaces.
Observers rarely spot it. The little black shag looks like a miniature version of the black shag. It is small, dark, and uniformly black with a greenish sheen on the back and wings. The bill is dark. The eye is green. The bird is sleek and unremarkable. It blends into the shadows. This camouflage serves it well in the reeds. It swims low in the water. The body is mostly submerged. Only the head and neck are visible. Then it vanishes. A long dive follows. Sometimes twenty seconds. Sometimes thirty. It surfaces somewhere else. The displacement is deliberate. Feeding involves small fish. The bird dives from the surface or swims low. It pursues prey underwater, using its webbed feet for propulsion. A little black shag underwater is fast, agile, and silent. On land, it is awkward. The legs are set far back. It waddles. It does not care. After fishing, it perches with wings outstretched. This is not a greeting. The feathers are not fully waterproof. They get wet during dives. Drying takes time. The posture is functional. It is a necessity of the design. In New Zealand, these birds are rare vagrants. Most records come from the North Island. The Waikato wetlands, the lakes of the Bay of Plenty, and the estuaries of Northland host occasional visitors. Birds have crossed the Tasman from Australia. They do not stay. A few weeks of feeding, then they head back across the water or further south. The little black shag is common in Australia. It lives on lakes and rivers across the continent. It is adaptable. It lives in cities. It lives in the bush. It lives wherever there is water and fish. Breeding takes place in colonies, often with other shags. The nest is a platform of sticks, built in a tree or on a cliff ledge. Three or four eggs are laid. Both parents share incubation duties. The chicks are naked at hatching. They grow grey down. The call is a low, grunting croak, often heard at the colony. In New Zealand, it is rarely heard. The silence is notable. The little black shag is often confused with the little shag, which is common in New Zealand. The little shag has a yellow bill. The little black shag has a dark bill. That is the main difference. Identification requires attention to detail. The name "kawau paka" means "small shag". It fits. No significant threats exist in New Zealand due to rarity. In Australia, wetland drainage poses a risk. Water pollution and disturbance of breeding colonies also affect populations. The global population is secure. Here, it remains a transient guest. It carries on. No one told it otherwise.