Description wikipedia

The Bounty shag (Leucocarbo ranfurlyi), also known as the Bounty Island shag, is a species of cormorant of the family Phalacrocoracidae. They are found only on the tiny and remote Subantarctic Bounty Islands, 670 km (420 mi) southeast of New Zealand. Its natural habitats are open seas and rocky shores. In 2022, a full Unmanned aerial vehicle survey of the Bounty archipelago found a total of 573 breeding pairs and estimates the population to consist of approximately 1,733 birds. These recent estimates are consistent with the only other comparable study from 1978 and suggest that the species' population has remained stable over the past 45 years. Some taxonomic authorities, including the International Ornithologists' Union, place this species in the genus Leucocarbo. Others place it in the genus Phalacrocorax. They construct nests on cliff ledges using brown seaweed, and breed during October, with chicks hatching from late November to early December.