Cape Gannet

They are easily identified by their large size, black and white plumage and distinctive yellow crown and hindneck. The pale blue bill is pointed with fine serrations near the tip; perhaps because of the depth and speed of the gannet's dive when fishing , its beak has no external nostrils into which the water might be forced.

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The Cape Gannet is classified as Vulnerable (VU), considered to be facing a high risk of extinction in the wild.

Cape Gannet Morus capensis - Ren More

The Cape Gannet, Morus capensis, originally Sula capensis, is a large seabird of the gannet family, Sulidae. They are easily identified by their large size, black and white plumage and distinctive yellow crown and hindneck. More

Cape Gannet in flight Cape Gannet (Sula capensis) photo More material of this species * 4.2A colony of bi...South Africa, Jul 2003 Helmut Schenkel Br... * 4.1Two birds perf...South Africa, Jul 2003 Helmut Schenkel Br... * 4Cape Gannet in...South Africa, Sep 2008 Pat Ayling * 3.9A pair courtin...South Africa, Dec 2006 Josh Engel * 3.6A huge flock o... More

Cape Gannets, Morus Capensis, Courtship Display in Gannet Colony at Bird Island, Western Cape Photographic Print by Steve & Ann Toon Cape Gannets, Morus Capensis, Courtship Display in Gannet Colony at Bird Island, Western Cape Photographic Print by Steve & Ann Toon Cape Gannets, Morus Capensis, Courtship Display in Gannet Colony at Bird Island, Western CapePhotographic Print 24 x 18 in Steve & Ann Toon$39. More

Cape Gannets begin breeding in August or September. Typically the clutch is a single bluish egg, which soon becomes soiled. Both parents are actively involved in the incubation process which lasts for 42 to 46 days until hatching. Gannets use their foot webs to incubate the egg. The foot webs, which are richly irrigated with blood vessels are wrapped around the egg. More

* Cape Gannet, Morus capensis * Australasian Gannet, Morus serrator Most fossil gannets are from the Late Miocene or Pliocene, a time when the diversity of seabirds in general was much higher than today. It is not completely clear what caused the decline in species at the end of the Pleistocene; increased competition due to the spread of marine mammals and/or supernova activity which led to mass extinctions of marine life are usually assumed to have played a role. More

Cape gannet in flight, preparing to land Cape gannet in flight, preparing to landPrint factsheet Facts - French: Fou Du Cap Kingdom Animalia Phylum Chordata Class Aves Order Pelecaniformes Family Sulidae Genus Morus (1) More

The mortality rate for the Cape gannet is at its highest during this precarious stage of life (4). The Cape gannet hunts for fish with spectacular power, grace and precision, plunge-diving for prey from heights of 10 to 30 m with flexed wings, pointed tail and feet, and total focus on its quarry. Just before entering the water, the bird stretches and swings its wings backwards to form a streamlined arrowhead-like body as it pierces the water (4). More

The breeding range of Cape Gannet is restricted to southern Africa in three islands off Namibia and three islands off South Africa. They normally nest in large and dense colonies on flat islands or on flat ledges of the steeply sloping Mercury Island off Namibia. The world population was estimated in 1996 to number about 340,000 birds, with 12% in Namibia and 88% in South Africa. More

Cape gannets breed on islands off the coast of Nambia and South Africa. They build their nests out of droppings, with a few bones and feathers mixed in. What do they sound like? - 1. A colony of cape gannets Watch video clips from past programmes (4 clips) - In order to see this content you need to have an up-to-date version of Flash installed and Javascript turned on. More

Aspects of the topic Cape gannet are discussed in the following places at Britannica. Assorted References * description (in gannet (bird)) ...and northeastern Europe, wintering to the Gulf of Mexico, Morocco, and the Mediterranean. The two slightly smaller southern species are the Cape gannet (M. capensis), which breeds on islands off South Africa, and the Australian (or Australasian) gannet (M. More

Cape Gannet - Morus capensis Travel Writer: EcoTravel Africa � Cape gannets occur singly or in straggling groups, although flocks appear over sea shoals such as the KwaZulu-Natal sardine run, during which time the birds plunge-dive repeatedly to feed, making an unforgettable sight. More

Photos of the flying Cape gannet (Morus capensis) far in front of the coast, near Dyer island, South Africa. = The Cape Gannet (Morus capensis) breeds on the islands off the coasts of South Africa and Namibia. On the sea the birds are often found above fish shoals. Cape Gannets hunt by plunge diving. From heights of 10 to 30 metres, they plunge into the sea, and shortly after it they come up to the sea surface with their prey. More

The Cape Gannet (Morus capensis, originally Sula capensis) is a large seabird of the gannet family, Sulidae. Morphology When seen in flight the snow-white body with the black tail, primaries and secondaries, and dark bill makes then easy to identify. At closer range the distinctive golden crown and nape, which gradually become white on the neck, are noticeable. On the other hand, the dark brown juveniles look completely black when seen in flight. More

Cape Gannet is a large white marine bird with long wings, completely webbed toes and pointed bill; nostrils not visible; tail feather not so stiff as in Cormorants and Pelicans. Status : Common or locally abundant resident. Distribution : A common off-shore species, resident throughout the year on the west and southern coasts. Found in coastal waters throughout the year as far as 160 kms offshore. More

Cape gannets are found in the waters off the Western Sahara, around Cape Agulhas to the Gulf of Zanzibar, and occasionally to Kenya. They are typically found within about 160 miles from the coast, but have occasionally been recorded on oceanic waters. They breed primarily on six offshore islands - Mercury, Ichaboe and Possession off the Namibian coast; Bird and Malgas off the west coast; and Bird off the east coast of South Africa. More

Birdlife / Cape Gannet Submenu - Information South Africa Accommodation, Hotels, TravelSouth Africa Explored with www.SA-Venues. More

ENGLISH: Cape Gannet, African Gannet, (South) African Gannet AFRIKAANS: Witmalgas XHOSA: Umkholonjane Description Cape Gannets are mostly white birds with contrasting black feathers at the wing tips and tail. Their head is a warm golden colour, the beak is blue grey and the legs and webbed feet are greyish black with a blue - green row of scales going down the front of the legs, along the top of each toe. More

Ecosystem Gone Haywire: Cape Gannet Bird Threatened With Extinction = ScienceDaily (May 5, 2009) — The ecosystem of the Cape Gannet, a protected bird species, has gone haywire. As a result of overfishing, the birds are no longer able to find enough food to rear their young. Pelicans, kelp gulls and seals are becoming increasing threats – the lack of fish means that these predators are attacking Cape Gannet chicks more often. More

Cape Gannet threatened with extinction = 27/04/2009 23:50:23news/cape_gannet_mullers Cape Gannet. Credit Ralf Mullers Ecosystem gone haywire due to overfishing: April 2009. The ecosystem of the Cape Gannet, a protected bird species, has gone haywire as a result of overfishing. More

Picture of Morus capensis above has been licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike license.
Original source: Trevor Hardaker – www.hardaker.co.za
Author: Trevor Hardaker – www.hardaker.co.za
Permission: Some rights reserved
Order : Pelecaniformes
Family : Sulidae
Genus : Morus
Species : capensis
Authority : (Lichtenstein, 1823)