New England Seabirds
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Northern Gannet Sula bassana |
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.North Atlantic Gannet or often just Gannet.
When and Where To See
Immature birds can be seen on Stellwagen Bank all summer long. Mature birds are seen in early spring in migration and in great numbers in late fall and into winter. Sometimes seen in fall and winter from land where they are usually spotted making spectacular plunge dives. For a more exciting Gannet experience visit a breeding colony to observe mating behavior. See Bonaventure Island or Cape St. Mary under Seabird Colonies..
Breeding
Breeds in large colonies in the Gulf of St. Lawrence including a large colony on Bonaventure Island on the Gaspé Peninsula. Also breeds in Newfoundland, Labrador, Iceland, British Isles. St. Kilda in the British Isles with 50,000 pairs is the largest colony in the world.
Nests are built of mud and sticks on the ground with cliff side locations preferred. Both parents incubate the egg using their feet as they do not have a brood pouch like Penguins. Both parents feed the chick regurgitated fish with the chick pecking on the parent's bill and sticking its head down the parent's gullet.
Birds do not breed until they are fully mature at 5 years of age. Immature birds present on the breeding ground where they may build practice nests and engage in mating behaviors usually on the outskirts of the colony. The immature birds disburse before the end of the breeding season and are seen on pelagics throughout the summer.
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Pair Bonding On the breeding grounds Gannets display interesting mating behaviors. Here a pair greet one another. Pair bonding endures from season to season. |
| Plumage Juvenile (first year) birds are gray brown with white spots on upper wings and back as shown in the lower left of the painting at the top of the page.Notice the white u shape path in the tail. During the next 3 years, the plumage becomes whiter. Notice the black feathers in the tail of this immature bird photographes on Jeffreys Ledge by Steve Mirick. The birds do not reach full breeding plumage until 5 years of age. |
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At Sea
After disbursal usually found over the
continental shelf from New England to the Caribbean. Less often over deeper
water.
At sea the most noticeable behavior is the spectacular plunge
diving. Bird hovers momentarily and then plunges directly toward the water
folding its wings just before plunging in head first. They can go as deep as 30
feet on a dive. When one bird discovers a school of fish, others are attracted.
Rests on the water in rafts or singly. Unlike other members of the bobby
family, Northern Gannets never rest on land away from the breeding
colony.
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Gannets are large birds. Flight is steady wing flapping
alternating with glides. Photo of adult taking off by Steve Mirick and used with his permission. Photo remains the property of the photographer.http://www.nh.ultranet.com/~mirick/ |
| Immature Northern Gannet photographed on the beach by Steve Mirick and used with his permission. Bird was caught in fishing line and taken to rehabilitation by the photographer. Photo remains the property of the photographer. |  |
| Bird List | What Is A Seabird?|Shearwaters | Storm-petrels | Fulmar | Skua/ Jaegers | Northern Gannet | Alcids | Gulls | Pelagic Terns | Phalaropes | Sea Ducks WIP | Last update 07/25/2007 |
.Page Author: Emmalee Tarry