European Shag
Photo: Andreas Trepte · CC BY-SA 2.5

Cormorants and Shags

European Shag

Gulosus aristotelis

LCLeast Concern
Family
Cormorants and Shags (Phalacrocoracidae)
Order
Suliformes

Overview

The European shag or common shag (Gulosus aristotelis) is a species of cormorant. It is the only member of the monotypic genus Gulosus. It breeds around the rocky coasts of western and southern Europe, southwest Asia and north Africa, mainly wintering in its breeding range except for the northernmost birds. In Britain this seabird is usually referred to as simply the shag.

Summary from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Range and habitat

Sources and further reading

Last updated September 29, 2026.