Andy Trowbridge / Little pied cormorant (Microcarbo melanoleucos previously known as Phalacrocorax melanoleucus) perched on branch with wings outstretched. Ashley River, Canterbury, New Zealand. July.

Andy Trowbridge / Pied shag/cormorant (Phalacrocorax varius) in flight. Ashley River, Canterbury, New Zealand. July.

Andy Trowbridge / Little pied cormorant (Microcarbo melanoleucos) perched on branch. Ashley River, Canterbury, New Zealand. July.

Andy Trowbridge / Pied shag/cormorant (Phalacrocorax varius) in flight. Ashley River, Canterbury, New Zealand. July.

Andy Trowbridge / Pied shag/cormorant (Phalacrocorax varius) portrait. Ashley River, Canterbury, New Zealand. July.

Nick Upton / Oystercatchers (Haematopus ostralegus) resting and preening at a roost site, with a Shag (Phalacrocorax aristotelis) holding its wings out to dry next to them, Cornwall, England, UK, April.

Nick Upton / Slow motion clip of an Oystercatcher (Haematopus ostralegus) struggling to climb up a slope at a coastal roost site as a Shag (Phalacrocorax aristotelis) approaches and flaps its wings, England, UK,...

Jiri Lochman / Little pied cormorant (Phalacrocorax melanoleucos), Cape Range National Park, Ningaloo Coast UNESCO Natural World Heritage Site, Western Australia, Australia.

Roger Powell / Little pied cormorant (Phalacrocorax melanoleucos) sitting on marine post and preening. Werribee Sewerage Farm, Werribee, Victoria, Australia

Brent Stephenson / Little pied cormorant (Phalacrocorax melanoleucos) drying with wings outstretched, perching on branch, Hawkes Bay, New Zealand, November.

Brent Stephenson / Little pied cormorant (Phalacrocorax melanoleucos) shaking water from its plumage, sitting on a branch close to the surface of the water, Tamatea, Hawkes Bay, New Zealand, November.

Brent Stephenson / Little pied cormorant (Phalacrocorax melanoleucos) on a branch close to the surface of the water, Tamatea, Hawkes Bay, New Zealand, November.

Brent Stephenson / Pied cormorant (Phalacrocorax varius) closeup of head showing the brightly coloured caruncle and eye-ring. Kaikoura, Canterbury, New Zealand, October.

Brent Stephenson / Adult little pied cormorant (Phalacrocorax melanoleucos) perched in a tree. Lake Rotorua, Bay of Plenty, New Zealand, July.

Brent Stephenson / Mixed group of three adult Little pied cormorants (Phalacrocorax melanoleucos) and two adult little black cormorants (Phalacrocorax sulcirostris) perched on a rock. Lake Rotorua, Bay of Plenty, New Ze...

Brent Stephenson / Juvenile Little pied cormorant (Phalacrocorax melanoleucos) perched on a post with wings outspread drying. Muddy Creek, Hawkes Bay, New Zealand, July.

Brent Stephenson / Pied cormorant (Phalacrocorax varius) standing on a rock with wings outspread drying. Christchurch, Canterbury, New Zealand, December.

Andy Trowbridge / Little Shag / Little pied cormorant / Kawaupaka(Microcarbo melanoleucos) perched on bridge railing. Heathcote River, Christchurch, Canterbury, South Island, New Zealand, May

Brent Stephenson / Little Pied Cormorant / Shag (Microcarbo melanoleucos) swimming low in the water. Waikanae Estuary, Wellington, New Zealand, February.

Andrew Walmsley / Little pied cormorant / shag (Microcarbo melanoleucos) drying wings spread wide, Mareeba Tropical Savanna and Wetlands Reserve, Queensland, Australia, November

Andrew Walmsley / Pied shag / cormorant (Phalacrocorax varius varius) profile, Kaikoura, New Zealand, October

Andrew Walmsley / Rear view of Pied shag / Karuhiruhi (Phalacrocorax varius varius) with wings stretched out on rock, Kaikoura, New Zealand, November

Andrew Walmsley / Pied shag / Karuhiruhi (Phalacrocorax varius varius) on rock, Kaikoura, New Zealand, November

Andrew Walmsley / Pied shag / Karuhiruhi (Phalacrocorax varius varius) portrait, Kaikoura, New Zealand, November

Wild Wonders of Europe / Hermansen / Shag (Phalacrocorax aristotelis) close-up of feet, Saltee Islands, County Wexford, Republic of Ireland, June 2009

Tom Marshall / Little pied cormorant / shag {Microcarbo melanoleucos} Adult calling on post. Ashley River Mouth, Canterbury, New Zealand, December.

Andrew Walmsley / Pied cormorant / shag (Phalacrocorax varius varius) yawning, Kaikoura, South Island, New Zealand, October

Andrew Walmsley / Pied cormorant / shag (Phalacrocorax varius varius) on beach, Kaikoura, South Island, New Zealand, October

Jouan Rius / Shag (Phalacrocorax aristotelis), close-up of webbed feet, Shetland Islands, Scotland, UK

Mike Potts / Pied shag / cormorant {Phalacrocorax varius} perching in tree, Stewart Island, South Island, New Zealand

Doug Gimesy / Little pied cormorant (Microcarbo melanoleucos) preening on intertidal rocks, Sandringham, Victoria, Australia.

Doug Gimesy / Australian pied cormorant (Phalacrocorax varius) standing on coastal rocks, Sandringham, Victoria, Australia.

Doug Gimesy / Australian pied cormorant (Phalacrocorax varius) standing on coastal rocks, Sandringham, Victoria, Australia.

Doug Gimesy / Little pied cormorant (Microcarbo melanoleucos) standing on intertidal rocks, feeding on fish, Port Philip Bay shoreline, Sandringham, Victoria, Australia.

Doug Gimesy / Little pied cormorant (Microcarbo melanoleucos) standing on intertidal rocks, feeding on fish prey, Port Philip Bay, Victoria, Australia.

Doug Gimesy / Little pied cormorant (Microcarbo melanoleucos) perched on intertidal rocks covered with Intertidal tubeworms (Galeolaria caespitosa) and molluscs, Victoria, Australia.

Doug Gimesy / Little pied cormorant (Microcarbo melanoleucos) in flight, Victoria, Australia.

Doug Gimesy / Little pied cormorant (Microcarbo melanoleucos), wings stretched to dry or warm wings in sun, standing on intertidal rocks covered with Intertidal tubeworms (Galeolaria caespitosa) and molluscs, Victo...

Doug Gimesy / Little pied cormorant (Microcarbo melanoleucos), wings stretched to dry or warm wings in sun, standing on intertidal rocks covered with Intertidal tubeworms (Galeolaria caespitosa) and molluscs, Victo...

Doug Gimesy / Little pied cormorant (Microcarbo melanoleucos) standing on intertidal rocks covered with Intertidal tubeworms (Galeolaria caespitosa) and molluscs, Victoria, Australia.

Doug Gimesy / Little pied cormorant (Microcarbo melanoleucos) on intertidal rocks covered with mollusc , seaweed and Intertidal tubeworms (Galeolaria caespitosa) encrusting exposed rock, Victoria, Australia.

Doug Gimesy / Little pied cormorant (Microcarbo melanoleucos) on nest during early morning. Middle Reedy Lake, Kerang, Victoria, Australia. November.

Doug Gimesy / Pied cormorant (Phalacrocorax varius) standing on intertidal rocks, sea in background. Port Philip Bay shoreline, Sandringham, Victoria, Australia.

Doug Gimesy / Pied cormorant (Phalacrocorax varius) standing on intertidal rocks, sea in background. Port Philip Bay shoreline, Sandringham, Victoria, Australia.

Doug Gimesy / Pied cormorant (Phalacrocorax varius) standing on intertidal rocks, sea in background. Port Philip Bay shoreline, Sandringham, Victoria, Australia.

Doug Gimesy / Pied cormorant (Phalacrocorax varius) standing on intertidal rocks, sea in background. Port Philip Bay shoreline, Sandringham, Victoria, Australia.

Doug Gimesy / Little pied cormorant (Microcarbo melanoleucos) in flight. Sandringham, Victoria, Australia.

Doug Gimesy / Little pied cormorant (Microcarbo melanoleucos) perched on branch protruding out of water. Eden NSW, Australia. June

Doug Gimesy / Little pied cormorant (Microcarbo melanoleucos) perched on branch protruding out of water. Eden NSW, Australia.

Doug Gimesy / Little pied cormorants (Microcarbo melanoleucos) two standing either side of a Pied cormorant (Phalacrocorax varius) on coastal rocks, Ricketts Point, Beaumaris, Victoria, Australia. May.

Doug Gimesy / Little pied cormorant (Microcarbo melanoleucos) on rocks by the shore. Ricketts Point, Beaumaris, Victoria, Australia. May,

Frederique Olivier / Small group of Indian ocean bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops aduncus) hunting in shallow water behind a flock of Pied cormorants (Phalacrocorax varius), Cape Peron National Park, Western Australia.

Frederique Olivier / Flock of Pied cormorants (Leucocarbo fuscescens) near the shore, Cape Peron National Park, Western Australia.

Frederique Olivier / Pied cormorant (Leucocarbo fuscescens) and Crested terns (Thalasseus bergii), Cape Peron National Park, Western Australia.