h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Entry: Shags - A2795934
Author: Trout Montague - U188966

Found this lying around. Can't remember why it fell out of PR before, but let's see if it can make the dead cat bounce.

I think there was a bone of contention over the title...

Previous PR thread for reviewers: F1846599?thread=442618

It's no worse than some other titles we could mention

When I first saw this title I thought it was gonna be an Entry by mu-beta

Very good

You've written this because the title is funny, but you haven't referred to the joke at all throughout. I think you may have missed an opportunity, but it's your call.

You could mention why it's called a shag (the shaggy crest)

Strictly, you should call P. aristotelis the European shag, not just the shag. The shag species of Phalacrocorax are:

Phalacrocorax aristotelis (European shag)
Phalacrocorax atriceps (imperial shag)
Phalacrocorax campbelli (Campbell Island shag)
Phalacrocorax carunculatus (rough-faced shag)
Phalacrocorax chalconotus (bronze shag)
Phalacrocorax colensoi (Auckland Islands shag)
Phalacrocorax featherstoni (Pitt Island shag)
Phalacrocorax magellanicus (rock shag)
Phalacrocorax onslowi (Chatham Islands shag) - this one's listed as endangered
Phalacrocorax punctatus (spotted shag)
Phalacrocorax ranfurlyi (Bounty Islands shag)
Phalacrocorax verrucosus (Kerguelen shag)

In total there are 36 species in the genus Phalacrocorax.

You might also mention that shags and cormorants are in the same order of birds as pelicans and gannets (Pelicaniformes)

Can you confirm that the nests are constructed by both? I thought that the female constructed it with material provided by the male. You don't mention that they nest in colonies.

Other than that - I enjoyed it!

Icy

>>where it feeds on almost entirely on midwater fish<< first *on* is redundant

>>Distribution extends to include the coast of northern and western Europe (including the whole of the British Isles, especially the north and west shores) from Iceland and northern Scandinavia south to Iberian Peninsula (Phalacrocorax aristotelis aristotelis); the Central Mediterranean eastwards to the Black Sea (Phalacrocorax aristotelis desmarestii); and the coasts of north-west Africa, especially Morocco (Phalacrocorax aristotelis riggenbachi).<<

This is a bit of mouthful and a confusion of brackets. Could I suggest:

Distribution includes: the whole of the British Isles, especially the north and west shores, the coast of northern and western Europe, from Iceland and northern Scandinavia south to the Iberian Peninsula (Phalacrocorax aristotelis aristotelis), the Central Mediterranean eastwards to the Black Sea (Phalacrocorax aristotelis desmarestii), and the coasts of north-west Africa, especially Morocco (Phalacrocorax aristotelis riggenbachi).

..and I don't think the Great Booby entry has developed yet either

Or the Bustard...

Don't you have a photo for that one?

I thought Galaxy Babe had one

One?

there were two when I last looked

I've only seen one.

(We are talking pictures, aren't we?)

<>

I'd say that's still a big mouthful but...

BTW, when the Romans wanted to get it on with someone did they suggest a phalacrocorax?

"The Shag’s habitat is exclusively marine, where it feeds on almost entirely on midwater fish." Do you need the first 'on' here?

A couple of typo's: "severla"(several), "Rumania"(Romania) .

What is "altricial"? Perhaps a footnote for that as well?

In this section of your entry:
>>>"The Shag’s habitat is exclusively marine, where it feeds on almost entirely on midwater fish (although occasionally bottom-dwellers including crustacea and molluscs), invariably by pursuit-diving from the surface, often with a slight leap into the air. Shags are usually solitary, especially in winter, although they may be observed in large groups albeit fishing independently."<<<

Could you expand it a bit to include interesting facts like this perhaps?:

"They can stay underwater for an extraordinary length of time. A king shag in the Marlborough Sounds was clocked diving for 190 seconds in search of prey, while a pied shag lasted 220 seconds before coming up for air. But although they might be agile at sea, shags are as awkward as penguins on land.

Compared to other seabirds such as penguins or petrels, shags have less fat to keep them warm. In addition, so that they can dive better to catch their prey, their feathers are less oily, and can become partially waterlogged. As a result they are at risk of hypothermia if they are in the water too long. Studies show that shags in cold waters catch fish at a very fast rate. At the end of a fishing expedition, they characteristically hang out or flap their wings to dry and get warm again."



Also-"Of the world’s 36 shag species, 12 are found in New Zealand. Eight of these are endemic"

I've quoted the above facts from a very interesting site -http://www.teara.govt.nz/EarthSeaAndSky/BirdsOfSeaAndShore/Shags/1/en
If there are 36 species and 12 are found in NZ then maybe you should expand upon this.

I've sometimes wondered about the difference between a shag and a cormorant. I notice that four species of cormorant are known as shags in NZ, perhaps this needs a mention too.

Again from the above site is information on the 'Little Shag'. The species is Phalacrocorax melanoleucos and the sub species Phalacrocorax melanoleucos brevirostris, measuring 56 centimetres long and weighing 700 grams.
You don't mention the weight of the birds you've included but you do mention the length of them.

Shags are also along with comorants considered a menace by many fishermen around the world this is another interesting fact that might be included.

I quote here again from the excellent site above...

THE SHAG MENACE: THE PROSECUTION

At the present time there are two schools of thought in this country. Some ornithologists maintain that the eel is undoubtedly the [shag’s] chief form of food, and while they admit that a few trout are taken also, they insist that this harm is more than counterbalanced by the harm done to the trout’s enemy – the eel. On the other hand, Anglers’ and Acclimatisation Societies, who have to bear the trouble and expense of stocking the rivers, maintain that the Black Shag constitutes a menace, to our trout streams and that their destructive powers far overreach any benefits that may be accrued by eel elimination.

There was only one way in which to settle the question. I shot a number of Black Shags. They all contained trout! I shot many more. Still more trout and still no eels. I then prepared forms and sent them throughout the country. That was a quarter of a century ago. Since then I have received nearly 3,000 replies. In a total of 2,883 stomachs examined there were only 18 eels, while there were 15,805 trout; an average of 5½ trout in the stomach of each Shag. There is no room for doubt as to what constitutes the Black Shag’s diet.

… Traps, snares and poison have been tried, with little or no success. … The only alternative, then, seems to be that of wholesale shooting, which can be best done at the rookeries in the breeding or nesting season.

My suggestion is that a South Island Shag Menace Control Board be set up…The fishing licences could be increased to 30/-, one-sixth of which could be allocated to Shag destruction.

– Abridged from H. G. Williams, The shag menace. T&#299;maru: Herald Print, 2002 (original published 1945), pp. 13, 14, 48, 49.

It then has an article for the defense of the birds.

The 'South Island Shag Menace Control Board"

So what do you do for a job then?, I asked
Why I'm a South Island Shag Control Officer, my friends call me Sisco., he said.
So just exactly how do you, err control shags then?, I asked fearing his reply.

Ref 'The common cormorant, or shag,
Lays its eggs in a paper bag....' verse.

I remember that as it was cin my 'Look and Learn' book for 1967.

However, its attribution in there is Anon.

I think this could be the beginning of something beautiful, but as it stands at present it needs work done to it. Please have a look at other entries on birds and how they've been formed and do take on board peer review coments.

Bear in mind you don't have to write an Entry just like all the other bird Entries either...

Neat and readable. The characteristic shaggy angel of the North pose when they hang their wings out to dry is striking enough to deserve a mention I think. As soon as you see it you know you're probably looking at a shag - could be cormorant but probably shag.

Any chance of an update, Trout?

I hope I'm not giving the kiss of death to some entries in PR
It seems that when I do a long(ish) response to the entry the author doesn't come back or in the case of ERM she has to drop the entry completely .

Come back Trout! Here have an or some...