Gannets
Gannet Colony
The Northern Gannet colony at Parc national de I'Ile-Bonaventure-et-du-Rocher-Perce at the eastern tip of the Gaspe peninsula in Quebec, Canada is the largest in North America. About 50,000 birds nest on the 300-foot high cliffs on the East side of the island and about 70,000 more on the plateau at the top of the cliffs. The colony is a spectacular sight - and sound - and smell! The island is reached by boat from the town of Perce - the trip includes closeup views of Perce Rock and of the cliffs before docking on the West side of the island. The experience of stepping out of the woods at the end of the trail across the island, right at the edge of the gannet colony, is truly unforgetable.
gannet colonyGaspesiegaspeQuebecCanadacanadianIle BonaventurebonaventureCanadian National Parks
From Gaspe
The Northern Gannet (Morus bassanus) is a goose-sized member of the Booby family. It is a long-winged bird, with a five to six foot wingspan, and is about 35 to 40 inches in length. It plunges spectacularly into the sea, from heights of 60 to 90 feet, in pursuit of fish. It often uses its large feet to propel itself back out of the water and into flight, with its catch.
gannet colonyGaspesiegaspeQuebecCanadacanadianIle BonaventurebonaventureCanadian National Parks
From Gaspe
Gannets With Chick
Adult pairs produce a single egg each nesting season, beginning in their fifth year. They have to feed their chick for three months - longer than any other bird. The parent regurgitates partially digested fish directly down the chicks gullet like a fire hose after which the chick goes back to sleep on a parents feet until it is once again hungry. This chick is quite well developed - in other photos here you will see sleeping chicks that look like nothing more than a flattened mound of feathers!
gannet colonyGaspesiegaspeQuebecCanadacanadianIle BonaventurebonaventureCanadian National Parks
From Gaspe
Gannet Fight!
Gannets are allocated by instinct an 80-centimeter circle in the colony. Any encroachment into this space can set off noisy fights such as this tug-of-war. Most fights are between juveniles who, unable as yet to produce an egg, never-the-less practice nesting, generally in less desireable sites around the edges of the colony. By the time they produce an egg and hatch a chick in their fifth year, they have learned enough and have settled down sufficiently that the chicks life is seldom endangered by such squabbles.
gannet colonyGaspesiegaspeQuebecCanadacanadianIle BonaventurebonaventureCanadian National Parks
From Gaspe
Gannet - Neck Up
This gannet is preparing to go fishing by holding its neck straight up. This allows sacks in the neck to fill with air to stiffen it otherwise the neck would break when diving after fish from 60 to 90 feet feet up. (Judging from the dead birds floating in the hunting areas near the island, this defense does not always work!) The departing bird causes much consternation and honking when it darts through the territories of other nesting pairs to reach a take-off strip at the edge of the colony. Surprisingly, the birds appear to be agile enough to avoid stomping any chicks.
gannet colonyGaspesiegaspeQuebecCanadacanadianIle BonaventurebonaventureCanadian National Parks
From Gaspe
Gannet Head Closeup
An attractive bird, the adult Northern Gannet is gleaming white with black wing tips, with an orange-buff tinged head. The bill is light blue, and the eye is blue/grey, surrounded by a bright blue lid and bare, black skin. The immature birds are dark brown in their first year, gradually acquiring more white in subsequent seasons until maturity at five years
gannet colonyGaspesiegaspeQuebecCanadacanadianIle BonaventurebonaventureCanadian National Parks
From Gaspe
Gannet Landing
Returning gannets land at a pretty high speed, honking desperately (Incoming, Incoming!) and somehow locate their mate and drop directly into that 80-centimeter circle he/she has reserved. This sets off yet another round of honking in the neighborhood.
gannet colonyGaspesiegaspeQuebecCanadacanadianIle BonaventurebonaventureCanadian National Parks
From Gaspe
Gannets - Lets Neck!
These birds are exhibiting typical gannet "necking" behavior. Each time a bird returns from a fishing trip, he/she renews their affection with its mate in this way, clacking together and briskly rubbing their bills and twining their necks. Ranger/Naturalists say that this apparent affection helps to control the natural aggressiveness of the birds, allowing them to stay close to each other in their little circles.
gannet colonyGaspesiegaspeQuebecCanadacanadianIle BonaventurebonaventureCanadian National Parks
From Gaspe
Young Gannet Pair
Gannets generally mate for life before they return in their third year to the colony in which they hatched. Unable to produce an egg until their fifth year, like all teenagers they never-the-less practice, practice, practice! This pair of four-year-olds is being typically cute with their affections.
gannet colonyGaspesiegaspeQuebecCanadacanadianIle BonaventurebonaventureCanadian National Parks
From Gaspe
Gannet Nesting Instincts
Although gannets do not build as evident a nest as other species (the egg and the chick are held on the tops of the parent's feet) they do occasionally collect nesting materials to present to their mates upon their return to the nesting site. This bird has just pulled up (with much awkward flapping and effort) a beakful of grass. He/she then hopped off down the runway, going airborne and out to sea, and landed to wash the grass. After returning, we watched him/her walk around shaking the grass to dry it, then hop off into the colony (setting off the usual honking) to profer it to its mate.
gannet colonyGaspesiegaspeQuebecCanadacanadianIle BonaventurebonaventureCanadian National Parks
From Gaspe