Head to head
Auckland Shag vs Campbell Shag
These two shags illustrate a recurring pattern across New Zealand's subantarctic islands, where closely related species have each settled onto their own separate island group.
| Auckland Shag | Campbell Shag | |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific name | Leucocarbo colensoi | Leucocarbo campbelli |
| Endemic range | The Auckland Islands only | Campbell Island only |
| Blue eye-ring | Present | Present |
| Diving ability | Considerable depth | Considerable depth |
| Conservation status | Near Threatened | Near Threatened |
| Population trend | Stable | Stable |
| Colony habitat | Coastal cliffs and headlands | Coastal cliffs and headlands |
| Habitat | Ocean, coastal | Ocean, coastal |
Auckland Shag vs Campbell Shag: common questions
Are the Auckland shag and Campbell shag the same species?
No, they are separate species, each endemic to its own single island group (the Auckland shag to the Auckland Islands and the Campbell shag to Campbell Island), despite being nearly identical in appearance and behaviour.
Do both shags have the same blue eye-ring?
Yes, both species share the same vivid ring of bare blue skin around each eye, a feature common to the wider group of closely related blue-eyed shags found across New Zealand's subantarctic islands.
Why are so many blue-eyed shag species confined to single islands?
This is a recurring pattern across New Zealand's subantarctic islands, where closely related shag species have each independently settled onto their own separate island group rather than sharing a wider overlapping range.