Shag (Gulosus aristotelis)Where and when to see it in the UK
Resident · reporting peaks August to October · Cormorants and Shags · BOU category AF
Peak months
Contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right 2026 (grid squares, place names from OS Open Names). Northern Ireland place names: OSNI Open Data, OGL v3.0. County and country boundaries: Office for National Statistics, Open Government Licence v3.0. Coastline: Natural Earth. Bird records from the data partners listed here.
Shag has been recorded in 1,324 of the 2,971 10 km squares covering UK land (45%) in records to 2026. Resident in the UK. Its strongest squares are in Scotland, England and Wales. Reporting peaks in August to October.
Conservation status: Least Concern (IUCN Red List, LC)
View on the IUCN Red List- Very high
- 48% or more of visits
- High
- 22% to 48%
- Moderate
- 7% to 22%
- Low
- under 7%
- Surveyed, not recorded
- at least 20 qualifying visits, no record
- Insufficient records
- too few visits to say
- Lighter fill
- Few visits, lower confidence
- Small dot
- Occasional: a single record, or out of season
Relative to this species' best squares (how classes are calculated)
Seasonality
| Month | Relative to peak | Share of visits | Typical class |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 50% | 4% | Very high |
| February | 50% | 4% | Very high |
| March | 48% | 3% | Very high |
| April | 51% | 4% | Very high |
| May | 63% | 5% | Very high |
| June | 76% | 6% | Very high |
| July | 78% | 6% | Very high |
| August | 88% | 6% | Very high |
| September | 87% | 6% | Very high |
| October | 100% | 7% | Very high |
| November | 62% | 4% | Very high |
| December | 57% | 4% | Very high |
Squares with the highest reporting rate in August
| Square | Where | Share of visits | Class |
|---|---|---|---|
| D30 | Mid and East Antrim, Northern Ireland | 100% | Very high |
| HT94 | Shetland Islands, Scotland | 100% | Very high |
| HU14 | Shetland Islands, Scotland | 100% | Very high |
| HU37 | Shetland Islands, Scotland | 100% | Very high |
| HU39 | Shetland Islands, Scotland | 100% | Very high |
| HU53 | Shetland Islands, Scotland | 100% | Very high |
| HU54 | Shetland Islands, Scotland | 100% | Very high |
| HU67 | Sea, off Shetland Islands | 100% | Very high |
| HU69 | Shetland Islands, Scotland | 100% | Very high |
| HY43 | Orkney Islands, Scotland | 100% | Very high |