Australasian Gannet

Morus serrator (Gray, GR, 1843)

2.4 kgWeight

The Australasian gannet (Morus serrator), also known as the Australian gannet or tākapu, is a large seabird of the booby and gannet family, Sulidae.

Busiest months: November · Most records: New Zealand, Australia, Norfolk Island

Least Concern

Where and when it's recorded

Busiest months: November · Most records: New Zealand, Australia, Norfolk Island

Australasian Gannet has been recorded at 101 of the 8,276 birding hotspots we track, in 3 countries and regions.

Records by month Southern Hemisphere

Where it's recorded most

Western Treatment PlantAustralia2,218 records
Eaglehawk Neck Pelagic TripAustralia2,015 records
Kaikoura – offshore – Albatross Encounter pelagicNew Zealand1,871 records

More places

Muriwai Gannet ColonyNew Zealand886 records
Tiritiri MatangiNew Zealand813 records
Queen Charlotte SoundNew Zealand671 records
Long Reef Aquatic ReserveAustralia614 records
Tutukaka To Poor KnightsNew Zealand590 records
Poor Knights Shelf AreaNew Zealand546 records
Gulf Harbour to Tiritiri Matangi ferryNew Zealand543 records

Countries and regions with the most records

New Zealand Australia Norfolk Island

eBird records via GBIF up to 2024-12-31. A record means someone listed it; more records partly mean more birders, not more birds.

About

The Australasian gannet (Morus serrator), also known as the Australian gannet or tākapu, is a large seabird of the booby and gannet family, Sulidae. Adults are mostly white, with black flight feathers at the wingtips and lining the trailing edge of the wing. The central tail feathers are also black.

Excerpt from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0 · authors · Read more on Wikipedia

Questions

How big is the Australasian Gannet?

The Australasian Gannet weighs around 2.4 kg.

Where does the Australasian Gannet live?

Its breeding range: Australasia: islets off southwestern Australia, Bass Strait and Tasmania, Philip Island (Norfolk group, east of Australia) and North and South Islands (New Zealand). It is most often recorded in New Zealand, Australia and Norfolk Island.

When is the best time to see the Australasian Gannet?

At the hotspots we track, it is recorded most in November (Southern Hemisphere).

Is the Australasian Gannet endangered?

The IUCN Red List classifies the Australasian Gannet as Least Concern.

What does the Australasian Gannet eat?

Main food: Fish, shrimp & shellfish.

What family is the Australasian Gannet in?

It belongs to the family Gannets, Boobies (Sulidae), order Suliformes.

At a glance

Weight: 2.4 kg
Habitat: Ocean
Diet: Fish, shrimp & shellfish
Lifestyle: Feeds in the air
Migration: Partial migrant
Conservation: Least Concern

More measurements

Wing: 461 mm
Tail: 200 mm
Bill: 88 mm
Tarsus: 54 mm

Averages from the AVONET dataset; length from field guides where available.

Range

Australasia: islets off southwestern Australia, Bass Strait and Tasmania, Philip Island (Norfolk group, east of Australia) and North and South Islands (New Zealand)

Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2