Morus bassanus; the Gannet is a large white colored sea bird with a faint yellowish head while the posterior parts of the wings are black. The wings are quite long in comparison to its body. It hunts on fish in a very characteristic way: from a certain height (20 meters or more) it dives straight down like a dart into the water. Just before it hits the water it retracts its wings. It breeds on cliffs and on top of cliffs. By far the major breeding ground on Iceland is the island of Eldey south-west of the main land. To get there is not possible for the average tourist (you may find a tour plane to fly over) but there are other smaller colonies on the south, east, and north-east coast which are accessible.
BIRDS OF ICELAND : Morus bassanus, Gannet
A brief introduction to Iceland birds
Text & Photographs by Dick Vuijk
- unless stated otherwise
Text & Photographs by Dick Vuijk
- unless stated otherwise
Other petrel-related species and seabirds
Other petrel-related species and seabirds