Completed 7th April 2026

  

500 Pieces

 Gannets

Painting by Mary Elliott- Lacey

Manufacturer: James Hamilton, England

 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.

 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). Just look at this rock! It is completely covered with gannets!

by Francis C. Franklin - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=35264377

 

This is how the couples greet each other. They live in monogamous pairs, reach sexual maturity at age 5, and can live up to 30 years

 

Northern gannets have streamlined bodies adapted for plunge-diving at high speed as well as powerful neck muscles. The nostrils are inside the bill and can be closed to prevent water entry.

 

If you want to learn more from these huge birds (the can reach up to 1 metre length), 

please check ebird