Morus bassanus
The Northern Gannet, *Morus bassanus*, is a magnificent, large seabird of the North Atlantic, instantly recognizable by its dazzling white plumage, distinctive yellowish wash on the head and nape, and striking black primary wingtips. Adults typically measure 87-100 cm in length, boast an impressive wingspan of 165-180 cm, and weigh between 2.5-3.5 kg. Key identification features include their powerful, conical, greyish-blue bill, and piercing pale blue eyes encircled by a blackish ring, which...
Predominantly pelagic, spending most of its life in the open ocean and coastal waters. Breeds colonially on remote, steep coastal cliffs and isolated rocky islands, typically at sea level.
Primarily piscivorous, feeding on schooling fish such as mackerel, herring, sandlance, and capelin, supplemented with squid. Foraging is conducted exclusively through high-speed plunge-diving from the air.
Northern Gannets are diurnal predators, spending their days foraging at sea and returning to dense, noisy colonies on cliffs for roosting and breeding. Their foraging strategy is spectacular: they execute dramatic plunge-dives from heights of 10-40 meters, hitting the water at speeds up to 100 km...
The Northern Gannet boasts a wide breeding range across the North Atlantic, establishing dense colonies on remote cliffs and islands of eastern Canada (notably Newfoundland, Quebec, and Nova Scotia), Greenland, Iceland, the Faroe Islands, the United Kingdom, Ireland, France, and Norway. Following...
Least Concern
- Northern Gannets can plunge-dive from heights of up to 40 meters, entering the water at speeds of 100 km/h. - They possess specialized air sacs in their face and chest that act like airbags, cushioning the impact of their high-speed dives. - Unlike most birds, they have no external nostrils; th...