NATURAL HISTORY · CATALOGUE RECORD
Campbell Shag
Leucocarbo campbelli (Filhol, 1878)
Source-backed taxonomic record
Accepted species in Catalogue of Life’s 11 September 2026 base release. This preserves the source classification and available supporting data; it is not a completed species monograph.
Campbell Shag Leucocarbo campbelli on Campbell Island, New Zealand.
(c) M Rutherford, some rights reserved (CC BY) · CC BY 4.0 · Image sourceProvider-generated thumbnail requested at 800 pixels; no local editing Local WebP display rendition; resized without cropping.
Open encyclopedia reference
The Campbell shag (Leucocarbo campbelli), also known as the Campbell Island shag, is a species of bird in the family Phalacrocoracidae. It is endemic to Campbell Island, one of the New Zealand outlying islands. Its natural habitats are open seas and rocky shores. It is a medium-sized bird, around 63 cm in length, with a wingspan of 105 cm, weighing between 1.6 – 2 kg. They only breed on Campbell Island]and forage within 10 km of the island. Its unique, looped head and elongated beak allow to easily feed on shellfish and marine invertebrates. This is done through foraging dive cycles of high speed and efficiency.
Some taxonomic authorities, including the International Ornithologists' Union, place this species in the genus Leucocarbo. Others place it in the genus Phalacrocorax.
Wikipedia contributors, Campbell shag; see linked history · CC BY-SA 4.0 . Plain-text lead excerpt, at most 180 words; no infobox or later sections Retrieved 2026-10-05T03:17:43.924580+00:00. This reference remains separate from the taxonomic record.
Identity & source status
- Scientific name
- Leucocarbo campbelli (Filhol, 1878)
- Name authority
- (Filhol, 1878)
- Common name
- Campbell Shag
- Rank
- species
- Accepted status
- accepted
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Aves
- Order
- Suliformes
- Family
- Phalacrocoracidae
- Genus
- Leucocarbo
- Extinction status
- Recorded extant
Classification family tree
Nested taxonomic groups from the source. This is not a direct-ancestor chain, a dated evolutionary tree or a phylogenetic reconstruction.
- domainEukaryota (Chatton, 1925) Whittaker & Margulis, 1978
- kingdomAnimalia
- phylumChordata
- subphylumVertebrata
- infraphylumGnathostomata
- parvphylumOsteichthyes
- megaclassTetrapoda
- classAves
- orderSuliformes
- familyPhalacrocoracidae Reichenbach, 1849
- genusLeucocarbo Bonaparte, 1856
- speciesLeucocarbo campbelli (Filhol, 1878)
Close classified relatives
These entries share the source’s genus, Leucocarbo. They are not necessarily the closest relatives established by molecular evidence.
| Species | Classification | Source status |
|---|---|---|
| Kerguelen ShagLeucocarbo verrucosus (Cabanis, 1875) | PhalacrocoracidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| South Georgia ShagLeucocarbo georgianus (Lönnberg, 1906) | PhalacrocoracidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Crozet ShagLeucocarbo melanogenis (Blyth, 1860) | PhalacrocoracidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Stewart Island ShagLeucocarbo chalconotus (G. R. Gray, 1845) | PhalacrocoracidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Heard Island ShagLeucocarbo nivalis (Falla, 1937) | PhalacrocoracidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Auckland ShagLeucocarbo colensoi (Buller, 1888) | PhalacrocoracidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Imperial ShagLeucocarbo atriceps (P. P. King, 1828) | PhalacrocoracidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Guanay CormorantLeucocarbo bougainvilliorum (R. P. Lesson, 1837) | PhalacrocoracidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
Names & synonyms
Names explicitly linked to this accepted taxon in the source. Synonymy can change with revision.
| Recorded name | Source status |
|---|---|
| Phalacrocorax campbelli (Filhol, 1878) (Filhol, 1878) | synonym |
| Phalacrocorax campbelli campbelli (Filhol, 1878) (Filhol, 1878) | synonym |
| Urile campbelli Filhol, 1878 Filhol, 1878 | synonym |
Documented distribution
Source distribution statements, not a complete range map. A listed locality is not necessarily a place of origin.
Source literature & publication evidence
References attached to this source record, including nomenclatural citations where supplied. This is a selected bibliography; abbreviated citations remain in the source’s form.
- https://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=824009 Source fields: Taxon.tsv dwc:namePublishedIn, Taxon.tsv dcterms:references
Origins, evidence & remaining research
Name authority and publication references document nomenclature where the source supplies it. They do not establish evolutionary origins or the earliest fossil occurrence.
Specimen-level evidence, morphology, ecological research, phylogenetic studies, a comprehensive bibliography and a located literary passage have not yet been compiled for this record.
Dataset citation & attribution
This exact taxon in ChecklistBank · Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11
Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11; dataset 316321; doi:10.48580/dgz5n. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ . Retrieved 5 October 2026.
Stable key: col:725KG. Classification follows source parent identifiers. English common names may vary by region.