In the Otago region of New Zealand, it hunts along the coast and has pied and dark bronze colour morphs.
In the Otago population of southeastern South Island, both pied and dark bronze birds have pink feet and brown irises. Nonbreeding birds have duller bare facial skin and no crests. Juveniles also occur in both morphs, but are duller, with pale facial skin and no bill-base caruncles.
It lives along coasts and near harbours, often diving in groups to catch fish, crustaceans, and marine worms.
An extinction-risk assessment has not been added yet.