Bird Album
Cape Gannet
Morus capensis (Lichtenstein, MHC, 1823)
2.6 kgWeight
The Cape gannet (Morus capensis) is a large seabird of the gannet family, Sulidae.
Busiest months: September · Most records: South Africa, Namibia, Mozambique
Where and when it's recorded
Cape Gannet has been recorded at 29 of the 8,276 birding hotspots we track, in 4 countries and regions.
Records by month Southern Hemisphere
Where it's recorded most
- Table Mt. NP – Cape of Good HopeSouth Africa342 records
- Stony Point – Penguin ColonySouth Africa240 records
- Table Mt. NP – Cape Point SectionSouth Africa218 records
More places
- Rooi-ElsSouth Africa124 records
- Boulders BeachSouth Africa91 records
- De Hoop Nature ReserveSouth Africa90 records
- Walvis Bay Salt PansNamibia84 records
- West Coast NPSouth Africa72 records
- St Lucia – iMfolozi River mouthSouth Africa49 records
- iSimangaliso WP – Eastern ShoresSouth Africa46 records
Countries and regions with the most records
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 Cape gannet (Morus capensis) is a large seabird of the gannet family, Sulidae.
Excerpt from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0 · authors · Read more on Wikipedia
Questions
How big is the Cape Gannet?
The Cape Gannet weighs around 2.6 kg.
Where does the Cape Gannet live?
Its breeding range: Africa: islands off Namibia and southern Africa. It is most often recorded in South Africa, Namibia and Mozambique.
When is the best time to see the Cape Gannet?
At the hotspots we track, it is recorded most in September (Southern Hemisphere).
Is the Cape Gannet endangered?
The IUCN Red List classifies the Cape Gannet as Endangered.
What does the Cape Gannet eat?
Main food: Fish, shrimp & shellfish.
What family is the Cape Gannet in?
It belongs to the family Gannets, Boobies (Sulidae), order Suliformes.
At a glance
- Weight
- 2.6 kg
- Habitat
- Ocean
- Diet
- Fish, shrimp & shellfish
- Lifestyle
- Feeds in the air
- Migration
- Partial migrant
- Conservation
- Endangered
More measurements
- Wing
- 450 mm
- Tail
- 173 mm
- Bill
- 91 mm
- Tarsus
- 59 mm
Averages from the AVONET dataset; length from field guides where available.
Range
Africa: islands off Namibia and southern Africa
Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2
Classification
- Order
- Suliformes
- Family
- Gannets, Boobies Sulidae
- Genus
- Morus
Other birds in the genus Morus
Northern GannetMorus bassanus
Australasian GannetMorus serrator
Abbott's BoobyPapasula abbotti
Red-footed BoobySula sula
Brown BoobySula leucogaster
Cocos BoobySula brewsteri
Masked BoobySula dactylatra
Nazca BoobySula granti
Blue-footed BoobySula nebouxii
Peruvian BoobySula variegata
Download illustration
Free to use with credit: “Illustration: Bird Album (birdalbum.com)”. Drawn by AI from reference photos. ↗
Heard it but can't see it? Mingji identifies birds by sound and photo, on your phone.