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They are distinctively shaped - with a long neck and long pointed beak, long pointed tail, and long pointed wings. At sea they flap and then glide low over the water, often travelling in small groups. They feed by flying high and circling before plunging into the sea.
The most important nesting ground for northern gannets is the United Kingdom, with about two-thirds of the world's population. These live mainly in Scotland, including the Shetland Isles.
With its two metre wingspan, warm yellow head, white body and black wingtips, this impressive bird will be familiar to most birdwatchers. Even though the Gannet is restricted to a couple of dozen breeding colonies, individuals may be seen anywhere around our coast throughout the year.
Famed for its super-fast fishing dives into the sea, the northern gannet (or gannet) is a distinctive white bird with a yellow head and black wingtips. It nests in large, noisy, smelly colonies on cliffs around our coasts.
Where Do Gannets Live? (Including Migration Info) Gannets breed in significant numbers in a few locations, primarily in Scotland, including the Shetland Isles. They are migratory, travelling great distances across the North Atlantic. After the breeding season, many Gannets migrate south to the Bay of Biscay or further to the coasts of West Africa.
Northern Gannets inhabit the North Atlantic, breeding on rocky cliffs and islands along the coasts of Eastern Canada, Greenland, Iceland, and Western Europe. They are particularly numerous around the British Isles, with significant colonies in Scotland.
Its breeding range has extended northward and eastward, with colonies being established on Russia's Kola Peninsula in 1995 and Bear Island (the southernmost island of Svalbard), in 2011. Colonies are mostly located on offshore islands with cliffs, from which the birds can more easily launch into the air.
