The little shag (Microcarbo melanoleucos) name refers to the bird's "shaggy" feather crest that many species display on their heads during breeding. It is also widely known as the little pied cormorant or by its Māori name, kawaupaka. It is best identified by its short, stubby, bright yellow bill with a darker ridge along the top edge. While this species is typically black on top and entirely white beneath across most of its Australasian range, a dark form with only white cheeks, throat, and upper neck predominates heavily in New Zealand.
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