Gannet (Northern Gannet)
Morus bassanus
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Distribution Britain 18 (+28.6%) Ireland 5 (+66.7%)
Numbers breeding: Britain 201,000 Ireland 30,000 nests European status: 230,000 (79% in Britain and Ireland =1) British population trend: on the up and up, recently by 2.4% p.a. How likely are you to record it? 10 squares (0.2%) Ranked 150 [88=] |
The Gannet is the biggest, and most conspicuous, seabird native to the North Atlantic. Britain and Ireland hold about 80% of the European population. In 1900 there were nine colonies: one on Lundy, in the Bristol Channel, was about to become extinct but the rest are still extant. The total was 40,000 to 50,000 pairs. Now there were more than 230,000 pairs counted in 1994-95 in the following colonies:
| Colony | County | Count | Year established |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bempton | Yorkshire | 1,631 | ca 1930 |
| Bass Rock | Firth of Forth | 34,397 | (1447) |
| Troup Head | Grampian | 530 | 1988 |
| Fair Isle | Shetland | 975 | 1974 or 75 |
| Noss | Shetland | 7,310 | 1914 |
| Hermaness | Shetland | 11,993 | 1917 |
| Foula | Shetland | 600 | 1976 |
| Sule Stack | Orkney | 4,888 | (1710) |
| Sula Sgeir | Western Isles | 10,440 | (1549) |
| Flannan Isles | Western Isles | 4,438 | (1969) |
| St Kilda | Western Isles | 60,428 | (9th century) |
| Ailsa Craig | Firth of Clyde | 32,456 | (1526) |
| Scar Rocks | Wigtown | 1,952 | 1939* |
| Clare Island | Mayo | 3(1999) | 1975 or 1976 |
| Little Skellig | Kerry | 26,850 | (1700) |
| Bull Rock | Cork | 1,815 | 1856 |
| Great Saltee | Wexford | 1,250 | 1929 |
| Ireland's Eye | Dublin | ca. 150 (1999) | 1989 |
| Grassholm | Pembroke | 29,277+ | 1820 or later |
| Ortac | Alderney | 2.098 | 1940 |
| Les Etacs | Alderney | 3,380 | (1945) |
*first colonisation ca 1883 abortive
The population is still increasing at a rate of about 2.4% a year and so, by 1999, there are likely to have been about 260,000. The colony at Sula Sgeir is still harvested for young birds to eat by 'The Men of Ness' and it is not increasing. New colonies are likely to be established and these can take off very quickly to reach several hundred nests in a dozen years or so. Clearly these new colonies are occupied by birds bred elsewhere — survival and productivity are high and Gannets exploit fishing discards. One unpleasant threat comes from modern, indestructible, fish nets which entangle birds at sea and may also be incorporated into nests. Excellent prospects — will they come back to nest on Lundy?
Murray, S. & Wanless, S. 1996 Scottish Birds: 18, 152-158.
Murray, S. & Wanless, S. 1997 Scottish Birds: 19, 10-27.
Wanless, S., Matthews, J. & Bourne, W.R.P. 1996 Scottish Birds: 18, 214-221.
The following Bird On! sketch is available:
Gannet
From
The
State of the Nations Birds
Copyright © 2000 by Chris Mead