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Bird Call Credits: The Macaulay Library of Natural Sounds at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Martyn Stewart, Redmond, Washington USA. The reuse or copying of bird calls in this database is strictly forbidden.

Northern Gannet

Northern Gannet: Very large seabird. White overall with black primaries and long pointed wings. Light yellow wash on crown of head extending down nape may be visible. Bill, legs, and feet are gray. Dives for fish and squid. Alternates rapid wing beats with short glides. Soars to great heights.

● Song: "grrah, grrah, grrah", "grrrrrou"

● Foraging & Feeding: Northern Gannet: Pelagic species, feeds on fish, especially mackerel and herring, and squid. Steadily flaps and glides into the wind above water scanning for prey. Dives into water from heights averaging 30 to 50 feet, rarely up to 90 feet. Reinforced skull helps dampen diving impact on the head. Dives produce little or no splash.

● Breeding & nesting: Northern Gannet: Monogamous colonial nester often with long term pairing. Male and female build nest of grass and seaweed on coastal rocky cliff, ground or rocky island. Nest may be reused in subsequent years with material being added to repair it. Female lays one light blue egg that becomes nest stained. Both sexes incubate egg for 42 to 44 days and tend altricial nestlings until fledging at 84 to 97 days.

● Similar species: Northern Gannet: Adult significantly larger overall with longer neck and bill than Herring and other large Gulls. Brown booby adult has much more extensive black on wings and all black tail. Juvenile Gannet may be confused with Brown Booby which is smaller and much darker overall. Juveniles also confused with Masked Booby which have more white on the underside of the wings, and show little or no white on the tail.

Flight Pattern