The Cape Gannet is a large seabird that breeds off Namibia and South Africa. It has a white body, black wings and tail, and a pale yellow-orange head.
Adults have a white body, black wing tips and tail, and a pale yellow-orange head. They fly over the sea on long wings.
Cape gannets catch fish in the Benguela waters off South Africa. Researchers fitted birds with GPS trackers and small detectors that recorded ship radar to measure how often they approached fishing vessels. The tracked birds seldom visited vessels and instead used saury, which had become more abundant as warm water entered the region.
Sardines, a major prey, had declined. The gannets changed their diet as prey availability shifted, while adults maintained body condition and chicks continued to grow during the study. Combining GPS tracks with radar detections showed how the birds’ foraging related to vessel activity.
An extinction-risk assessment has not been added yet.
In the Benguela study, Cape gannets seldom attended fishing vessels and shifted from declining sardines to saury. Monitoring prey and diet changes helps track the marine food conditions used by this seabird.