Northern Gannet

- Largest seabird in the North Atlantic – 2 meter wingspan
- Long-lived – 20 – 30 years or older
- Monogamous with low divorce rate better stats than humans
- Only 3 gannet colonies in Newfoundland and only 6 in North America
- Other colonies in Iceland, Norway Ireland, UK and France
- Plunge dive from heights of up to 25 m at rapid-speeds to catch fish
- Feed on capelin, mackerel, herring, Atlantic saury and squid
- Collect plastic debris [fishing line, netting, rope] which can entangle birds at nests
- Lays a single white egg
- Chicks remain in the nest for more than 3 months
- Chicks load fat and at 12 – 13 weeks are heavier than parents
- At 12 – 13 weeks chicks refuse food and intensify wing-flapping
- In late Sept – Oct young fledge go to sea alone
- Parents remain at nest often courtship displaying and copulating
- Winter off eastern North American coast – Maine to Texas
- Small number winter migrate across the Atlantic to west African coast
- Each gannet returns to the same nest site in the spring