The Spotted Shag or Parekareka, Phalacrocorax punctatus, is a species of cormorant

Cormorant

The bird family Phalacrocoracidae is represented by some 40 species of cormorants and shags. Several different classifications of the family have been proposed recently, and the number of genera is disputed.- Names :...

 endemic to New Zealand

New Zealand

New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...

. Originally classified as Phalacrocorax punctatus, it is sufficiently different in appearance from typical members of that genus that to be for a time placed in a separate genus, Stictocarbo, along with another similar species, the Pitt Island Shag

Pitt Island Shag

The Pitt Shag , also known as the Pitt Island Shag or Featherstone's Shag is a species of bird in the Phalacrocoracidae family. It is endemic to New Zealand. Its natural habitats are open seas and rocky shores. It is threatened by habitat loss.-References:* BirdLife International 2006....

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Compared with typical cormorants, the Spotted Shag is a light-coloured bird.