Cape Gannet
Morus capensis
Gregarious, strong-flying seabird. Adults are whitish with an apricot-colored head; note also the distinctive blackish arrow-shaped tail and pointed dark wingtips and hind wing. Flocks are often seen from headlands close to the shore. Constant flapping-and-gliding flight pattern and sharp plunge-diving when foraging are unique within range. Dingy brown immatures share the overall shape and flight pattern of adults. At sea, albatrosses hardly ever flap in flight. Other gannets and boobies are mostly absent from its range. Harsh, loud rollicking “wurrah, wurrah, wurrah” given at breeding colonies and while feeding.
Identification
When seen in flight the snow-white body with the black tail, primaries and secondaries, and dark bill makes them easy to identify. At closer range the distinctive golden crown and nape, which gradually becomes white on the neck, is noticeable. Juveniles and immatures are dark brown with a pale bill, and can resemble the dark-coloured boobies at first glance.<p>Adults are about 84–94 cm (33–37 in) long and have a 171–185 cm (67–73 in) wingspan and weigh ca. 2.6 kg (5.7 lb).<p>The Cape gannet is identified from the Australasian gannet by the all-black tail, a longer black stripe down the throat (from underneath the beak) and more extensive black on the face, but all of these features are difficult to identify unless at close proximity. The Cape gannet is also very similar to the northern gannet, but the latter differs from its entirely white tail and its wings, which are only black at the tip. It also is similar to the blue-footed booby (Sula nebouxii).
Taxonomy
German naturalist Hinrich Lichtenstein described the Cape gannet in 1823.<p>The Sulidae, the gannets and boobies, appeared about 30 million years ago. Early Sulidae fossils most resembled the boobies, although they were more aquatic, with the gannets splitting off later, about 16 million years ago. The gannets evolved in the northern hemisphere, later colonising the southern oceans. The most ancient extant species may be the Abbott's booby, possibly the sole survivor of an otherwise extinct separate lineage. A 2011 genetic study of nuclear and mitochondrial DNA suggests that the ancestor of the gannets arose around 2.5 million years ago before splitting into northern and southern lineages. The latter then splitting into the Cape and Australasian gannets around 0.5 million years ago. The three gannets are generally considered to be separate species forming a superspecies, though they have also formerly been classified as subspecies of the northern gannet (Sula bassanus).
- Scientific name
- Morus capensis
- Authority
- (Lichtenstein, MHC, 1823)
- Order
- Suliformes
- Family
- Sulidae
- Genus
- Morus
Range and habitat
- Breeding range
- AF : islands off Namibia and s Africa
- Non-breeding range
- to coastal n Namibia and Mozambique
- Migration
- Resident species
Conservation
- Population trend
- declining
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
Sandhill Crane
Antigone canadensis
Large, long-legged bird shaped much like a heron. Gray body, sometimes with intense rusty staining. Adults have red crown. Often in large flocks at migration and wintering concentration points. Favors marshes and agricultural fields where they eat primarily grains. In flight, neck is outstretched, unlike herons with tucked necks. Snappy wingbeats. Listen for far-carrying bugling call.
Obi Cicadabird
Edolisoma obiense
Small cuckooshrike with a restricted range, found only on Obi and Bisa Islands, in the central Moluccas. Males are mainly gray with black on the face and wing. Distinctive female is mostly rufous-brown, with unmarked buffy underparts, and a gray cap. Found in forest and forest edge habitats. Vocalizations poorly known, but apparently include a long rattling note. The male is similar to male Pale Cicadabird, but is significantly darker, with a mostly black face. The rufous-brown female is completely different from the pale gray female Pale Cicadabird.
Cinnamon-tailed Fantail
Rhipidura fuscorufa
A distinctive songbird with a long tail, often cocked to expose the diagnostic cinnamon sides. Also note the gray back, cinnamon flash in the wing, and buff belly. Juvenile has a buffy eyebrow and spotted back. Inhabits forest, edge, mangroves, and scrub in low-lying areas, often boldly perching in the open. Frequently joins mixed-species flocks. The only gray-backed, long-tailed songbird in its range in the eastern Lesser Sundas. Song is a slow, lazy human-like whistle, “pe-pe-pee-pee-pee,” notably ascending on the last three notes. Also gives a nasal “chup” note.
Start Your Bird Watching Journey
Identify a bird outdoors and keep the field guide close for your next observation.