Usually known as Pied Cormorant, the epithet "Australian" is somewhat misleading since it occurs over all three main islands of New Zealand also.
Although generally common and found both coastally and inland, it does not occur in Tasmania nor inland areas of west Australia, except as a vagrant. There are vagrant records from Snares and
Lord Howe Islands, but not PNG. NZ birds tend to be coastal, but this may be due to lack of suitable habitat inland. Two races are described, the Australia birds being hypoleucos. The
nominate race is the NZ one, as it was first described from there as Pied Shag.
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