Head to head
Bounty Shag vs Chatham Shag
Bounty Shag
VS Chatham Shag
Both shags are confined to a single remote island group, but their nesting substrate and conservation trajectories differ.
| Bounty Shag | Chatham Shag | |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific name | Leucocarbo ranfurlyi | Leucocarbo onslowi |
| Range | The Bounty Islands only | The Chatham Islands only |
| Nesting substrate | Bare granite rock | Coastal cliffs |
| Conservation status | Vulnerable | Endangered |
| Population trend | Stable | Decreasing |
| Population size | Small, narrowly confined | One of the rarer blue-eyed shags |
| Blue eye-ring | Present | Present |
| Habitat | Ocean, coastal | Ocean, coastal |
Bounty Shag vs Chatham Shag: common questions
Which one nests on bare rock lacking vegetation?
The Bounty shag does this, nesting directly on bare granite ledges since the Bounty Islands lack the soil and vegetation found on the Chatham shag's breeding islands.
Which one has a declining population?
The Chatham shag has a declining population, classified as Endangered, while the Bounty shag's numbers have remained relatively stable despite its extremely restricted range.
Do both breed on a single island group?
Yes, both species are confined entirely to their own single remote island group in the Southern Ocean, rather than a wider shared range.