GANNETS AND CORMORANTS
87-100cm
Gannet
Sula Bassana
Birds of the open ocean, Gannets breed on small islands off the NW coast of Europe. They move away from land after nesting to winter at sea. The young migrate soudh as far as W Africa. Gannets feed on fish by plunge-diving from 25m, and nest in large, noisy colonies. The nest is a pile of seaweed. A single egg is incubated for 44 days. The young bird is fed by both parents and flies after 90 days.
ID FACT FILE
Size: Larger than any gull
Adult: White, black wing-tips, yellow nape
Juvenile: Grey, gradually becoming white over 5 years
Bill: Dagger-like
In Flight: Cigar-shaped with long, narrow, black-tipped wings
Voice: Usually silent, growling urr when nesting
Lookalikes: Skuas, Gulls and Terns (pp 123-139)
(Labels)
Adults at breeding colony
three immature stages
adult