Imperial Shag

Overview

Imperial Shag (Leucocarbo atriceps) is a species of Cormorants, Shags (Phalacrocoracidae) in the order Boobies, Cormorants and Frigatebirds.

Scientific Classification

Genus: Leucocarbo; binomial: Leucocarbo atriceps; authority: (King, PP, 1828).

Distribution

Breeding range: South America.

Conservation Status

This taxon is listed as Extant (living) in the IOC World Bird List.

Remarks

Includes albiventer. Broad zone of overlap with intergradation of King and Imperial Shag in se SA needs study to resolve status (Jaramillo 2003; Rasmussen 1994); albiventer is treated as a separate species in Kennedy & Spencer (2014), but we retain as conspecific following HBW and SACC. Treat all members of the blue-eyed shag Leucocarbo atriceps complex as conspecific, following AviList v2025.