Birds · Suliformes · Sulidae

Northern Gannet

Morus bassanus

Least Concern

The species is abundant and widely distributed; it faces no significant short-term risk. See full glossary

It can make spectacular plunge dives from heights of up to 30 metres, hitting the water at up to 100 km/h thanks to air sacs under the skin that cushion the impact.

Weight

2.2 kg – 3.6 kg

Size

87 cm – 1 m

Lifespan

15 years

Diet

Piscivore

Feeds mainly on fish.

Activity

Diurnal

Active mainly during the day.

Social structure

Colony

Lives in large concentrations, often for breeding reasons.

Sighting difficulty

Easy

OceanIslandsPiscivore Diurnal Colonial Bird Ocean Islands

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Fun facts

It forms monogamous pairs for life and returns faithfully to the colony where it hatched to breed.
It eats herring, sandeel, cod and other fish caught by plunge-diving.
It lives on coastal cliffs and islands of the North Atlantic.
locomociónIt can plunge into the sea from more than 30 metres up, hitting the water at great speed thanks to air sacs under the skin that cushion the impact.

Life cycle & biology

Skeleton type: Vertebrate - pneumatised bony skeleton (bird)
Habitat & environment: Coastal cliffs and islands of the North Atlantic, ranging widely over the ocean outside the breeding season
Birth weight: ~80 grams on hatching, featherless
Size at birth: Featherless and dark blue or black on hatching
Sexual maturity: 4-5 years
Gestation / incubation: 42-44 days
Litter / clutch size: 1 egg per clutch

Sources consulted: Birdfact; SeaLifeBase; Dimensions.com; BirdLife International; AnAge (genomics.senescence.info); Animalia.bio; The Animal Facts; Wikipedia (Northern gannet); PMC (foraging ontogeny study)