The Australasian Gannet (Morus serrator) are found throughout and over inshore waters in the eastern, southern and south-western Australia, as well as New Zealand.
Both the male and female Australasian Gannet are similar in plumage. They are a large black and white seabird (the body is white, with dark tips on the major wing feathers and the inner tail feathers). The head is buff yellow-wash and the heavy pointed bill is a pale blue-grey with striking black borders to the bill sheaths.
Breeding in noisy colonies, they are usually found on islands or artificial structures, such as beacons, although there are a couple of mainland coloneis.
They forage in spectacular fashion, by plunge-diving into the ocean from great heights to capture the prey.
- Scientific classification
- Kingdom: Animalia
- Phylum: Chordata
- Class: Aves
- Order: Suliformes
- Family: Sulidae
- Genus: Morus
- Species:
- Morus bassanus
- Morus capensis
- Morus serrator
Images © Dorothy L