ID Help needed please!

Question

These birds were too far away for my camera, so apologies for the poor quality. I know I saw cormorants, and I know I saw shags, and a chap told me there were also razor bills. I watched a shag diving, and he was just like a dolphin. However, I haven't a clue what I got on camera!! Here goes:

Cheers, Linda.

See my photos on Flickr

TeeJay · Accepted Answer

Hi Sparrow 
 Well, I'm going to havea go at this one too. 
 They are definitely not razorbills. They are more boat shaped when swimming and the bill is unmistakeble, hence the name. 
 They are definitely not divers (loons) either. Note the hooked end to the bill. This is very characteristic of both shags and cormorants. Divers have a much more dagger shaped bill. 
 Adults shags are a dark glossy green when seen in good light but can often look black from a distance. They are of course smaller than cormorants but you can't tell the size from the photos. They also have finer bills. So here goes. 
 I think the bird in the third photo is a shag. It's very dark and has a fine bill and what appears to be a quite steep forehead. 
 The bird in the first photo could be anything but I think it is also probably a shag owing to it's very dark appearance. Really spooky eyes though! 
 The bird in the second photo could be a juvenile cormorant but the bill looks too fine and the markings round the throat don't look right, so on balance I would go for shag with this one too. 
 I await the real experts: seymouraves, MC, Buzzard et al for the final diagnosis. It's always worth having a go Kezmo. 
 TJ

aiki · Answer

IMHO all three are Shags, with 1 and 3 adults and 2 an immature. It 
looks too dark to be a young Cormorant (pale chin patch is very 
restricted) but more importantly too dainty, forehead too steep and 
bill too slender.

Jimbob · Answer

Sorrym didn't mean to suggest that answer was correct.... 
 working nights just now - and my head isn't very clear!! (no offence Sparrow!) 
 All three are Shags IMO, the 2nd one is a young bird.

seymouraves · Answer

Hi, 
 
 just got back from taking some people birding- had a great time and am uploading 500 photos from a week on Lesvos. 
 
 The birds are all shags- :) The bills are too slender for cormorants. 
 
 S

GrahamC · Answer

I agree with TJ - 1 and 3 are Shags whilst 2 is a Cormorant. 
 Cormarants have the tell-tale white cheeks: http://www.rspb.org.uk/wildlife/birdguide/name/c/cormorant/index.aspx whilst as the Shags have crests it may be slicked down due to continual diving: http://www.rspb.org.uk/wildlife/birdguide/name/s/shag/index.aspx 
 The RSPB has a good ID site: http://www.rspb.org.uk/wildlife/birdidentifier/form.asp - wish there was one as simple and as good as this for non-UK birds as well! 
 Cheers, Graham

owain21 · Answer

having watched cormarants and shags many times i am almost postive that one and three are shags (as mentioned the crest is porbs not visible due to in feeding and diving) and that picture two is a cormarant. I know this becasue paler patch of feather just before and below the beak which is nicely visible in picture two which is a charateristic of cormarants and is not visible on the other two, though the beak does look slim like a shags, but i think this is due to the picture quality. Also in picture two you can see the white markings that again are charateristics of cormarants. The white patch on pic one is in the wrong place for it to be the patch of a cormarant. 
 i hope im right now or im gunna look seriously silly lol. 
 Hope this helps!!

Sparrow · Answer

Thank you very much to everyone for your suggestions and comments. Much appreciated. 
 The majority decision seems to be 
 
 Shag 
 Cormorant 
 Shag