Morus bassanus
“To see gannets hunting fish is one of North America’s great wildlife spectacles: flocks rain down upon the ocean, blizzardlike, by the thousands, looking like a force of nature. The birds’ excellent vision and vigorous vocalizing when diving helps them catch fish as well as avoid collisions with other diving gannets” - Cornell Lab


The Northern Gannet (Morus bassanus) is one of the largest birds in the world. They flock across the Atlantic Ocean Flyways, breeding in coastal cliffs and islands off the North Atlantic. During migratory season, they can be found near shore in the Mid Atlantic. 

To survive hitting the water up to 60 MPH when diving for fish, they possess reinforced skulls, specialized shock-absorbing neck muscles, and subcutaneous air sacs under their skin that cushion the sudden deceleration.


Photo Credit: National Audobon Society Field Guide

Order: Suliformes
Family: Sulidae
Category: Boobies and Gannets, Gull-like Birds
Population: 720.000
Habitat: Coasts and Shorelines, Lakes, Ponds, and Rivers, Open Ocean
Threatened Species Status: Least Concern








Photo Credit: Rebecca James, BBC In 2020, an extremely contagious strain of avian flue has decimated bird populations across the planet. Northern Gannet colonies, and other seabirds, have been especially hard hit: with populations declining around 25%. It could take decades for the populations to recover. 

Northern Gannet birds that contracted and survived HPAI were physically altered, with their irises of their eyes turning from bright blue to black.






Migration Map


Sources

https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Northern_Gannet/overview
https://biographic.com/after-the-outbreak/
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Source: Matt Doggett Photography