Morus bassanus
Silhouette: Andy Wilson · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~10%
The northern gannet (Morus bassanus) is a seabird, the largest species of the gannet family, Sulidae. It is native to the coasts of the North Atlantic Ocean, breeding in Western Europe and Northeastern North America. It is the largest seabird in the northern Atlantic. The sexes are similar in appearance. The adult northern gannet has a mainly white streamlined body with a long neck, and long and slender wings. It is 87–100 cm (34+1⁄2–39+1⁄2 in) long with a 170–180 cm (67–71 in) wingspan. The head and nape have a buff tinge that is more prominent in breeding season, and the wings are edged with dark brown-black feathers. The long, pointed bill is blue-grey, contrasting with black, bare skin around the mouth and eyes. Juveniles are mostly grey-brown, becoming increasingly white in the five years it takes them to reach maturity.
Nesting takes place in colonies on both sides of the North Atlantic, the largest of which are at the Bass Rock (75,000 pairs as of 2014), St. Kilda (60,000 pairs as of 2013) and Ailsa Craig (33,000 pairs as of 2014) in Scotland, in Ireland (Sceilg Bheag; little Skellig, 35,000 pairs in 2011), Grassholm in Wales, and Bonaventure Island (60,000 pairs in 2009) off the coast of Quebec. Its breeding range has extended northward and eastward, with colonies being established on Russia's Kola Peninsula in 1995 and Bear Island (the southernmost island of Svalbard), in 2011. Colonies are mostly located on offshore islands with cliffs, from which the birds can more easily launch into the air. The northern gannet undertakes seasonal migrations and catches fish (which are the mainstay of its diet) by making high-speed dives into the sea up to 60 mph.
The northern gannet was previously hunted for food in certain parts of its range, and although that practice still continues in the Outer Hebrides of Scotland and the Faroe Islands, the bird faces few other natural or man-made threats. Since its population is growing, the International Union for Conservation of Nature considers it a least-concern species. Because it is both a conspicuous and a common bird, it is referred to in several ancient myths and legends. Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cape Breton Highlands National Park | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 2 | Vatnajokull National Park | 🇮🇸 Iceland | |
| 3 | Gros Morne National Park | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 4 | Wadden Sea National Park | 🇩🇪 Germany | |
| 5 | Acadia National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 6 | Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 7 | Snowdonia National Park | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | |
| 8 | Doñana National Park | 🇪🇸 Spain | |
| 9 | Svalbard | 🇳🇴 Norway | |
| 10 | Padre Island National Seashore | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 11 | Everglades National Park | 🇺🇸 United States |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Algiers | 🇩🇿 Algeria | |
| 2 | Dakar | 🇸🇳 Senegal | |
| 3 | Casablanca | 🇲🇦 Morocco | |
| 4 | Dublin | 🇮🇪 Ireland | |
| 5 | Rabat | 🇲🇦 Morocco | |
| 6 | Rotterdam [The Hague] | 🇳🇱 Netherlands | |
| 7 | Porto | 🇵🇹 Portugal | |
| 8 | Miami | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 9 | Barcelona | 🇪🇸 Spain | |
| 10 | Liverpool | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom |
| # | Zoo / Centre | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Natura Artis Magistra | 🇳🇱 Netherlands | |
| 2 | Wilhelma | 🇩🇪 Germany | |
| 3 | Westküstenpark & Robbarium St. Peter-Ording | 🇩🇪 Germany | |
| 4 | Bremerhaven Zoo | 🇩🇪 Germany | |
| 5 | Ecomare | 🇳🇱 Netherlands |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Northern Gannet sighting in Porto on a given day, based on 112 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 94th most-seen of the 175 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 10%, if each day is a fresh chance.
November
In that month about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Northern Gannet in Porto on a given day, against under 5% in December to October, the lowest months. That is one of Porto's wettest months, with about 140 mm of rain against 15 mm in July.
Between 9 am and noon
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Northern Gannet sightings with a recorded time, and about 8 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
7th of 14
Of the 14 cities where we can rate Northern Gannet sightings, Porto ranks 7th at under 5%. The best odds are in Algiers (Algeria, about 20%), Dakar (Senegal, about 20%) and Casablanca (Morocco, about 10%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Northern Gannet is recorded against all the birds logged in Porto (112 verified sightings), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
