Northern Gannet

The Northern Gannet is the largest seabird found in the North Atlantic, a striking, torpedo-shaped bird with brilliant white plumage, sharply contrasting black wingtips, and a warm buff-yellow wash across the head and nape. Its long, dagger-like, pale blue-grey bill and piercing pale eyes, ringed with bare blue skin, give it a distinctive, almost regal expression.

Gannets are supremely adapted for high-speed plunge-diving, folding their wings back at the last moment before hitting the water at speeds that can exceed 100 km/h (60 mph), aided by internal air sacs that cushion the impact and a bill lacking external nostrils to prevent water from rushing in.

The species breeds in some of the largest and most spectacular seabird colonies in the Northern Hemisphere, with tens of thousands of pairs packed onto cliff ledges and flat-topped rock stacks, filling the air with constant activity and noise.

Key field marks

• Large size with a brilliant white body and black wingtips
• Buff-yellow wash on the head and nape
• Long, pointed, pale blue-grey bill and pale eyes with blue bare skin around them
• Cigar-shaped body and long, pointed wings and tail in flight

Similar species

• Cape Gannet and Australasian Gannet, close relatives found in other regions, differ subtly in the extent of black on the tail and facial stripe pattern, but do not overlap in range with the Northern Gannet.
• Immature Northern Gannets are mottled dark brown, gradually becoming whiter over several years, and can be confused with other large dark seabirds until the adult plumage is reached.

Northern Gannets breed in large colonies on steep cliffs, rocky islands, and stacks around the North Atlantic, with major colonies in the British Isles, Iceland, the Faroe Islands, Norway, and eastern Canada, including the famous colony at Bonaventure Island in Quebec.

Outside the breeding season, gannets disperse widely across the North Atlantic and adjoining seas, with many birds migrating south to winter off the coasts of western Africa, while others remain closer to breeding waters.

Voice

At breeding colonies, Northern Gannets give loud, harsh, rhythmic "arrah" calls used in greeting displays, territorial disputes, and pair-bonding rituals, contributing to the constant noise of a large colony.

Feeding

They feed primarily on fish such as herring and mackerel, spotted from the air and caught by spectacular high-speed plunge-dives from heights of up to 30 meters (100 ft), sometimes pursuing prey further underwater using their wings and feet.

Nesting and breeding

Pairs build substantial nests of seaweed, mud, and debris on crowded cliff ledges, engaging in elaborate greeting displays involving bill-fencing and head-shaking each time a partner returns to the nest. A single egg is laid, and both parents share incubation and feeding duties over the breeding season.