Morus serrator

I was treated to a trip to the Australasian Gannet breeding colony at Muriwai today by some friends I made on Tiri last week. The area hosts hundreds of gannets and is one of the only spots on the mainland where they breed. Once the chicks have lost their down and are ready to fly, they almost immediately undertake the staggering 1200-mile journey to Australia, where they spend a few years before returning to the same colony to have chicks of their own. The mature adults meanwhile stay along the coasts of New Zealand, perhaps realizing what a daft idea it is to try and fly all the way to Australia in a headwind.

There are three species of Gannet worldwide; they differ little in coloration and habits. The Northern Gannet is endemic to the northern Atlantic, breeding off the coasts of North America and Europe and wintering along coasts further south. The Cape Gannet breeds off of South Africa and Namibia. Gannets are known for their spectacular foraging dives, entering the water from great heights in such a streamlined fashion that they barely disturb the surface. The family to which they belong, Sulidae, also contains the seven species of Booby.