European Shag Gulosus aristotelis Scientific name definitions

Pelecanus aristotelis Linnaeus, 1761 [type locality = Sweden].

Iceland and northern Scandinavia south on coasts to Iberian Peninsula.

The largest subspecies. Breeding adults generally have a conspicuous crest and the extent of yellow on the bill is restricted to its base. Most juveniles have brownish underparts. Birds from Northern Scotland and Norway tend to show larger bills than birds from southern England and Brittany (1 Cramp, S., and K. E. L. Simmons, Editors (1977). The Birds of the Western Palearctic. Volume 1: Ostrich to Ducks. Oxford University Press, Oxford, UK. ,3 Yésou, P., Buchheim, A. and Bermejo, A. (2005). Which subspecies of Shag occurs in Galicia? British Birds. 98(7): 369–370. ).

Shags from Galicia have similar wing-lengths but much larger bills than elsewhere. Juveniles are on average paler than North Atlantic shags but darker than Mediterranean ones (3 Yésou, P., Buchheim, A. and Bermejo, A. (2005). Which subspecies of Shag occurs in Galicia? British Birds. 98(7): 369–370. ). They may represent an undescribed subspecies.

Carbo desmarestii Payraudeau, 1826 [type locality = "coasts of Sardaigne, Elbe, Monte-Christo, Capraica"].

Central Mediterranean east to Black Sea.

Differs from aristotelis in having breeding crest reduced or absent, feet paler and bill more extensively yellow on average (1 Cramp, S., and K. E. L. Simmons, Editors (1977). The Birds of the Western Palearctic. Volume 1: Ostrich to Ducks. Oxford University Press, Oxford, UK. ,2 Beaman, M., and S. Madge (1998). The Handbook of Bird Identification for Europe and the Western Palearctic. Christopher Helm, London, UK. ). Juveniles have generally whitish underparts, which is rare in nominate. They also show more extensive whitish fringes to wing coverts, forming a pale wing panel (2 Beaman, M., and S. Madge (1998). The Handbook of Bird Identification for Europe and the Western Palearctic. Christopher Helm, London, UK. ). This subspecies is also smaller, with a longer and more slender bill, as well as shorter wings compared to nominate (1 Cramp, S., and K. E. L. Simmons, Editors (1977). The Birds of the Western Palearctic. Volume 1: Ostrich to Ducks. Oxford University Press, Oxford, UK. ,3 Yésou, P., Buchheim, A. and Bermejo, A. (2005). Which subspecies of Shag occurs in Galicia? British Birds. 98(7): 369–370. ).

Phalacrocorax graculus riggenbachi Hartert & Jourdain, 1923 [type locality = "Cape Blanco north, Morocco"].

Coast of Morocco.

Similar to desmarestii in coloration and size, but said to have a larger bill (1 Cramp, S., and K. E. L. Simmons, Editors (1977). The Birds of the Western Palearctic. Volume 1: Ostrich to Ducks. Oxford University Press, Oxford, UK. ).