Northern Gannet vs Shoebill
Morus bassanus comparé à Balaeniceps rex
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribut | Northern Gannet | Shoebill |
|---|---|---|
| Nom scientifique | Morus bassanus | Balaeniceps rex |
| Ordre | Suliformes | Pelecaniformes |
| Famille | Sulidae | Balaenicipitidae |
| Statut de conservation | Least Concern | Vulnerable |
| Longueur | 93,0 cm (36.6 in) | 120,0 cm (47.2 in) |
| Envergure | 180,0 cm (70.9 in) | 240,0 cm (94.5 in) |
| Poids | 3000,0 g (105.82 oz) | 5500,0 g (194.01 oz) |
| Régime alimentaire | Shoaling fish, especially mackerel, herring, and capelin. Plunge-dives from heights of 30 meters at speeds … | Primarily lungfish, also catfish, water snakes, monitor lizards, and baby crocodiles. Hunts by standing motionless, … |
| Taille de la couvée | 1 | 1-3 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Size Comparison
Habitat Comparison
Northern Gannet
Open ocean and coastal waters. Breeds in dense colonies on steep rocky islands and sea stacks.
Shoebill
Freshwater swamps dominated by papyrus and other dense aquatic vegetation in tropical East Africa.
Song & Call Comparison
Northern Gannet
Loud, harsh 'urrah-urrah' grunting and croaking at breeding colonies on sea stacks. Also gives a softer 'karrr' in flight. Large colonies are extremely noisy during the breeding season.
Shoebill
Largely silent; produces mechanical bill-clattering 'clap-clap-clap' when greeting at the nest — similar to White Stork. Also gives low croaking grunts. Rarely calls in the wild.
Geographic Range & Migration
Northern Gannet
North Atlantic, breeding from Newfoundland and Gulf of St. Lawrence to Norway, Iceland, and Britain. Winters at sea south to the tropics.
Shoebill
Central and East Africa from South Sudan and Ethiopia south to Zambia. Largest populations in South Sudan and Uganda.
Statut de conservation
Northern Gannet
Shoebill
How to Tell Them Apart
Northern Gannet
Brilliant white body with black wingtips and a golden-yellow wash on the head and nape. Blue-grey bill with dark lines and pale blue eye-ring.
Long, straight, pointed, pale blue-grey bill with serrated edges
Shoebill
Blue-grey plumage overall with a slightly darker back and wings. Powder down gives a washed-out appearance. Small tuft on the back of the head.
Massive shoe-shaped bill, one of the largest of any bird — pale yellowish-grey with darker markings
About These Birds
Northern Gannet
The northern gannet is a spectacular plunge-diver, folding its two-meter wingspan into an arrow shape to hit the water at up to 100 km/h. Air sacs under the skin and a reinforced skull protect it from the impact. Bass Rock in Scotland hosts over 150,000 gannets, the largest single colony of any seabird in the world.
Shoebill
The shoebill is one of the most sought-after birds for birdwatchers visiting Africa, prized for its prehistoric appearance and massive bill. It can stand motionless for hours before collapsing forward to seize prey in its enormous bill. Despite standing over a meter tall, shoebills weigh relatively little due to their hollow bones.