---
title: "Spotted Shag"
description: "Phalacrocorax punctatus — Uccelli. The spotted shag or pārekareka (Phalacrocorax punctatus) is a species of cormorant endemic to New Zealand."
canonical: https://animalchecklist.com/it/animal/spotted-shag
last_updated: 2026-09-20
---

# Spotted Shag

> Phalacrocorax punctatus — Uccelli. The spotted shag or pārekareka (Phalacrocorax punctatus) is a species of cormorant endemic to New Zealand.

- Scientific name: *Phalacrocorax punctatus*
- Category: `birds` (Uccelli)
- Habitats: `sea` (Mare e costa)
- iNaturalist observations: 3253
- Wikidata: [Q27074616](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q27074616)
- iNaturalist taxon: [4292](https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/4292)

## Names

- en: Spotted Shag
- de: Tüpfelscharbe
- es: Cormorán moteado
- fr: Cormoran moucheté
- pt: Biguá-pintado
- pl: Kormoran nakrapiany

## Countries with the most observations

NZ (3146)

## Summary

The spotted shag or pārekareka (Phalacrocorax punctatus) is a species of cormorant endemic to New Zealand. Though originally classified as Phalacrocorax punctatus, it is sufficiently different in appearance from typical members of that genus that for a time it was placed in a separate genus, Stictocarbo, along with a similar species, the Pitt shag. Subsequent genetic studies show that the spotted shag's lineage is nested within the typical shags.

Text: Wikipedia (en), CC BY-SA 4.0 — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spotted_shag

## Photo

![Spotted Shag](https://animalchecklist.com/img/animals/spotted-shag/medium.jpg)

Photo: Christine Braaten · CC0 · inaturalist — https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/148896825

## Machine access

`GET https://animalchecklist.com/api/v1/animals/spotted-shag?lang=it` — see [openapi.json](https://animalchecklist.com/openapi.json).