European shag (Gulosus aristotelis, formerly kown as Phalacrocorax aristotelis) proudly walking back to the nest with some very special stick: the skeleton of another shag.

We observed many shags returning back to their partner with new nest material for home renovations, which typically consited of kelp or similar, but this one really brought back the most special decoration. They were not the only one finding the remains of their neighbor (or love rival?) acceptable nest building material, we saw at least one other shag on a nest with bones woven into it.

European shag (Gulosus aristotelis, formerly kown as Phalacrocorax aristotelis) proudly walking back to the nest with some very special stick: the skeleton of another shag.

We observed many shags returning back to their partner with new nest material for home renovations, which typically consited of kelp or similar, but this one really brought back the most special decoration. They were not the only one finding the remains of their neighbor (or love rival?) acceptable nest building material, we saw at least one other shag on a nest with bones woven into it.

I was taking a picture of this family of common murres/common guillemots (Uria aalge) posing while more auks flew by at Hornøya, when a European Shag (Phalacrocorax aristotelis) crashlanded in the snow right in front of me, creating this dramatic portrait.

Picture taken at Hornøya, by Vardø in the north of Norway.

European shag preening them self at Hornøya. The shags easily became one of my favorite seabirds after this summer, they have so much personality.

Young European Shag at Hornøya, photographed in April 2024. On my way off the island, right next to the boat pickup, I met a group of sunbathing young shags.

They're so cute, and have such fun facial expressions. Meeting them up close at Hornøya definitely made me appreciate shags more.

Their clumsy movements, interesting interactions, and dinosaur-like sounds make them a very exciting bird to observe. Murres, razorbills, and puffins may be the Hornøya birds people are most drawn to due to their stunning visuals, when it comes to behavior and personality, the shags are the clear winners.