Saturday, July 5, 2014

Creature Feature #259: Gannet


The Gannet is a skilled diver. He will plunge from heights of up to 30m, achieving speeds of up to 100 km/hr and enabling him to dive much deeper than most seabirds. He is superbly adapted for this, with no external nostril holes and air sacs in his face and chest to prevent damage from impact with the water. His eyes are positioned far forward, affording him powerful binocular vision and allowing him to precisely pinpoint his prey. Every year, flocks gather in the same place to breed, with some colonies numbering over 10,000 birds.

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