Gannet

Scientific classification
Kingdom Information
Domain |  Eukaryota
Kingdom |  Animalia
Subkingdom |  Bilateria
Branch |  Deuterostomia
Phylum Information
Phylum |  Chordata
Sub-phylum |  Vertebrata
Infraphylum |  Gnathostomata
Class Information
Superclass |  Tetrapoda
Class |  Aves
Sub-class |  Neornithes
Infra-class |  Neoaves
Order Information
Superorder |  Passerimorphae
Order |  Pelecaniformes
Sub-order |  Ciconii
Infraorder |  Ciconiides
Family Information
Superfamily |  Suloidea
Family |  Sulidae
Genus Information
Genus |  Morus
Species Information
Species |  M. bassanus
M. capensis
M. serrator
Population statistics

The Gannet is a large seabird found in the Atlantic Ocean. It is three feet long and mostly white, with a yellow head and blue eyes; they can take four years to reach their full adult plumage.

Gannets have no nostrils, because God made them that way so they could dive into the sea from a great height, and this design protects their brains from damage from the pressure of the water.[1]

They nest in large groups on cliff ledges and small islands on the coasts of Europe and Canada, although it is most common in the British Isles. They spend the winter at sea as far south as Mexico, the Caribbean and Africa. They are also occasional visitors to the Great Lakes. In the tropics their closest relatives are the boobies.

Gannets catch fish by diving into the sea at them from a great height, and their legendary capacity to eat a lot of fish has made the gannet an emblem of greed.