Daily Bird 2024: Northern Gannet

Northern Gannet

April 8, 2024—The reports of Northern Gannets flying over Long Island Sound last week were enough to make a desk-bound birder envious.

Frank Mantlik, a member of the regional board of Connecticut Audubon’s Milford Point Coastal Center, and Stefan Martin, conservation manager, were among the many birders who knew enough to look for them from the state’s beaches following the mid-week storm.

Frank sent out this report:

After the intense nor-easter storm the day before, birders along CT’s shore witnessed large numbers of Northern Gannets in Long Island Sound on April 4. Most/all were flying west; some were noted diving for food. Many were in close to shore.

Around noon at Hammonasset SP, Jean Adamus tallied 80+ Gannets.
Later at Hammo, Russ Smiley counted 100, then stopped counting (3:04-4:19). He got a photo of one eating a fish.
At 4 p.m. Tom Murray [also a Milford Point regional board member] tallied 73 in just 5 minutes at Milford Point.
Then Stefan Martin counted 412 in 65 minutes (4:16-5:21 p.m.) from Stratford Point, with groups of up to 12 birds.

The all-time high count of Gannets in CT was 814 at Stratford Point on April 12, 2017, also by Stefan Martin (eBird), an incredible sight!

Where were all these Gannets heading? They are currently migrating north to their breeding cliffs in the Canadian Maritimes. Presumably the two days of strong east winds blew them into Long Island Sound. But why were they all heading west? Perhaps they were trying to find an exit back to the Atlantic Ocean. But why not go back east to exit the Sound at the Race?

Thank you, Frank!

Here’s more about the Northern Gannets—a magnificent, missile-like seabird built for speed and power. Unlike the songbirds you may know, these birds are all about dramatic dives.

Their sleek, white bodies and black-tipped wings are designed for life on the ocean. Spot a school of fish, and they transform. Wings tucked, they plunge headfirst from incredible heights, hitting the water with breathtaking force. It’s a spectacle you won’t soon forget.

Late March to mid-April is prime gannet season along the Connecticut coast as they migrate north. Stratford Point, jutting into the Long Island Sound, can be a hotspot buzzing with baitfish. But as Frank noted above, birders have seen them recently from a number of beaches, including Milford Point.

How do you tell a gannet from a gull?

Adult gannets are unmistakable, with their white bodies sharply contrasting those black wingtips.
Look for thespectacular plunge into the sea. No gull does that.
FGannets have a distinctive flap-glide-flap flight pattern, unlike the constant flapping of gulls.

With colonies across the Atlantic, their numbers are strong. So consider heading to the Connecticut coast. With luck, you will see an unforgettable wildlife show.