Indian Shag (Phalacrocarax Fuscicolis)
Also known as the Indian cormorant, the
Indian shag is found almost throughout the Indian subcontinent
excluding the higher reaches of the Himalayas and on the island
country of Sri Lanka. This glistening black duck-like waterfowl is
only slightly bigger than a duck in size. The breeding birds will have
white feathered tufts behind eyes and white speckles on head and neck,
while the immature birds are a bronze-brown on the above and white
bellied.
¤ Easily Traceable
These gregarious birds collect in large flocks to hunt communally on
the edge of a river or lake. Small colonies of nesting Indian Shags
can be found between July to February amongst a large mixed heronries
throughout the sub-continent but the month might vary from one place
to the other. Stories from a long ago past talk of leashed cormorants
being used by some communities to fish. |
