Gannet

Adult Gannets are large and bright white seabirds with black wingtips. They are distinctively shaped with a long neck and long pointed beak, long pointed tail, and long pointed wings.

Gannets breed in significant numbers at only a few localities and so they are an "Amber List" species. They breed on coastal cliffs and remote islands and spend the winter out at sea.

The biggest mainland breeding colony is at Bempton Cliffs in East Yorkshire. Big island colonies occur on St Kilda, in Shetland and on Bass Rock in Scotland and on Grassholm in Wales.

Gannets arrive at their colonies from January onwards and leave in August and September. Non-breeding birds can be seen at any time around the coasts.

Date: 16/04/07

Location: Bempton Cliffs, East Yorkshire