Gannet
What to look for:
Gannets are elegant birds, white in colouring with black wing tips and a cream head with a long pointed beak. Close up the head is a buff/yellow colour, with a light bluish
beak and white eyes.
Gannets are spectacular fishers, flying over the sea and then diving from over
50 metres and pulling their wings straight back as they enter the water.
The bird then surfaces and flies off immediately swallowing the fish it has
caught.
Gannets are powerful flyers and can fish well away from the coast from
where they carry partially digested fish back to their young.
When to see it:
Although gannets may remain in British waters
throughout the year, they spend most of their time out at sea, coming
together in large colonies on exposed coasts and islands to breed (late
Jan to Oct).
Where to see:
Scotland
has some of the largest and most important gannet colonies in Europe.
Individual birds can be seen along the coast, however Troup Head on the
Moray Firth coast is the only mainland colony with 1500 nesting pairs. Other significant colonies are off the east coast on Bass Rock and
the Isle of May, off the west coast on Ailsa Craig in Firth of Clyde and St Kilda
and Fair Isle further offshore.
To see this species in the wild, click here
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