Scientific Name: Morus bassanus
Population: Estimated at 1,500,000-1,800,000 individuals globally
Destinations: Jan Mayen, Iceland, Canada, Denmark, France, Norway, Spain, Portugal, England, Scotland
Average Length: Adult: ~0.9–1 m (2.9–3.3 ft); Newborn: ~7–10 cm (2.8–3.9 in)
Average Weight: Adult: ~2.5–3.6 kg (5.5–7.9 lbs); Newborn: ~80–100 g (2.8–3.5 oz)
Diet Habits: Primarily fish (e.g., mackerel, herring, sand lance)
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Suliformes
Family: Sulidae
Genus: Morus
Species: M. bassanus
English: Northern Gannet
Danish: Sule
Chinese: 北方塘鹅
Swedish: Havssula
Finnish: Suula
Norwegian: Havsule
Polish: Głuptak
Japanese: キタハイイロカツオドリ
Spanish: Alcatraz atlántico
French: Fou de Bassan
The northern gannet is a large seabird that is easily recognisable. It has long, slender white wings with a large black wingtip and is mostly white on its body. Its neck is yellow, with a big bill that has light colouring and black horizontal stripes. Its legs and feet have a black membrane, and it also has a blue ring around the eye. They can measure up to 1 metre (3.3 feet) from beak to tail tip. Furthermore, the northern gannet's wingspan ranges from 170 to 192 cm (5.6 to 6.3 feet), which is an impressive size compared to other seabirds such as the dunlin, Atlantic puffin, and rock ptarmigan.
These big birds are commonly found in the south of the Atlantic Ocean, on islands and along the coasts of Europe. However, since 2011, they have spread northwards as breeding birds to Bjornøya or Bear Island, the southernmost island of the Norwegian Svalbard archipelago.
The northern gannet's diet mainly consists of fish, such as herring, mackerel, and sandlance. One of the ways they hunt their prey is through their renowned diving techniques from heights of up to 30 metres (98 ft) in a single plunge to catch a fish. Although they remain underwater for just a few seconds - up to 30 seconds - the sight of these impressive dives is a spectacular experience that our guests may observe during their expedition.
Larger birds tend to live longer than smaller ones because they have slower metabolisms and are less vulnerable to predators. The Northern gannet typically lives around 17 years, but in the wild, they can reach up to 35 years. However, this lifespan is shorter compared to other seabirds we encounter during our expeditions, such as albatrosses, which can live between 30 and 50 years.
Their predators are gulls and skuas, which exploit vulnerable nests with eggs or chicks. They can also be impacted by human activities, climate change, and overfishing, as these affect their food sources.
Fact #1: Their colonies are typically found in steep sea cliffs.
Fact #2: The colonies of northern gannets do not range to the Southern Hemisphere or Greenland.
Fact #3: Their nearest relatives are cormorants and pelicans.
Fact #4: Northern gannet nests in colonies on bird cliffs situated on inaccessible rock shelves by the sea, alongside other sea birds like auks and black-legged kittiwakes.
Fact #5: These large birds are classified as ‘Least Concern’ by the IUCN Red List.
Fact #6: Their maximum elevation is 200 metres.
Fact #7: They are complete migrant seabirds.
Fact #8: In flight, they appear nearly cross-shaped because of their long beak, throat, and wedge-shaped tail.
Fact #9: Their eggs are usually pale blue-green immediately after being laid.
Fact #10: Juvenile northern gannets are recognised by their dark, sooty-brown plumage.
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