The juvenile shag was seen by Jason Fouche outside his McBride St office.
``I was first alerted about the little lady when our courier company mentioned it while dropping off a parcel.
``I had a look outside and saw an elderly gentleman walking beside her in the street, with the shag waddling along next to him.''
After attempts to coax the uninjured bird towards the coast failed, Mr Fouche made it a temporary home in a cardboard box in his office.
Despite ``a few bites'' the encounter was an interesting one, he said.
``It was a better way to start a Monday I suppose.''
Department of Conservation biodiversity supervisor Amanda Salt retrieved the shag, which was in ``prime condition'' about an hour after it settled into office life.
She could not confirm the gender of the bird.
Shags appearing in urban settings was not that unusual, she said.
``It is quite common at this time of the year when the wind's direction changes they get blown in.''
It was likely the shag, which was a couple of months old, nested at Taiaroa Head.
``The major Dunedin population is at Taiaroa Head; they just get blown up the harbour.
``They can often be seen through the Andersons Bay-South Dunedin area.''
Making the shag a cardboard box home was ``exactly the right thing'', but people should be wary of birds' bites.
``If anyone does see one they should try to encourage it back to the water first.''
The shag was relocated to safe waters, she said.
