Gannets

Gannets are large seabirds in the genus Morus, part of the family Sulidae. There are three widely recognized species: the Northern Gannet (Morus bassanus), the Cape Gannet (Morus capensis), and the Australasian Gannet (Morus serrator). They have distinct geographic ranges, with the Northern Gannet breeding on cliffs around the North Atlantic, the Cape Gannet along southern African coastlines, and the Australasian Gannet around southern Australia and New Zealand.

Gannets are coastal birds with mostly white plumage, black wing tips, and a pale yellow to golden head. They possess long, pointed bills and powerful bodies adapted for diving. They are exceptional plunge divers, often diving from considerable heights to catch schooling fish, mainly pelagic species such as herring and sardines. Their crests and facial coloration vary slightly by species and age; adults maintain a striking, streamlined silhouette in flight, with heads held low over the water.

They form large, dense colonies on offshore islands or coastal cliffs during the breeding season. Nesting is typically on the ground in shallow scrapes lined with seaweed or vegetation. Gannets usually lay a single egg, and both parents take turns incubating and feeding the chick through regurgitation. Courtship includes mutual head bobbing and preening.

Conservation status varies by species and region, but threats common to gannets include overfishing reducing prey, pollution, and habitat disturbance on breeding sites. Despite these pressures, gannets remain a conspicuous and ecologically important group of seabirds in coastal ecosystems.