Immature
Immature
Australasian Gannets are found throughout southern and south-eastern Australia, to New Zealand.
Australasian Gannets soar 10 m or more above the surface of the water. Upon locating a dense shoal of fish, they fold their wings back and dive into the water to catch their prey. Small backward-pointing serrations along the edges of the bill allow gannets to firmly grasp fish that are normally swallowed before a bird reaches the surface. A bird only stays under the water for about ten seconds.
In Australia, the Australasian Gannet breeds in dense colonies on islands off Victoria and Tasmania. The young do not reach breeding maturity until about six or seven years old.
Atlas of Living Australia at Morus serrator Accessed 29 July 2020.
Birdlife Australia at https://birdlife.org.au/bird-profile/australasian-gannet Accessed 27 July 2020.