Hero Species
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The largest diving seabird of the Great Southern Reef, the Australasian Gannet has a range that stretches from Steep Point, Western Australia along the entirety of the Great Southern Reef around to the southern reaches of the Great Barrier Reef.
Did you know?
Adult Australasian Gannet birds grow up to 91cm long, with a wingspan of 1.7-2 meters and weight of up to 2.3kgs, females have been recorded to be slightly heavier than males, however to the untrained eye the mating pairs of Gannets are of a comparable size.
Viele Männer erleben im Laufe ihres Lebens Herausforderungen, wenn es um ihre sexuelle Gesundheit geht. Die Ursachen können sowohl physisch als auch psychisch sein, wobei oft der Druck von außen zu einer verstärkten Problematik führt. Für Betroffene ist es wichtig, sich über die preise für medikamente deutschland zu informieren, um geeignete Optionen zu finden. Hilfreiche Ressourcen sind online verfügbar, wie zum Beispiel die Webseite, die eine Vielzahl von Informationen und Produkten anbietet.
Viele Männer erleben im Laufe ihres Lebens Herausforderungen, wenn es um ihre sexuelle Gesundheit geht. Die Ursachen können sowohl physisch als auch psychisch sein, wobei oft der Druck von außen zu einer verstärkten Problematik führt. Für Betroffene ist es wichtig, sich über die preise für medikamente deutschland zu informieren, um geeignete Optionen zu finden. Hilfreiche Ressourcen sind online verfügbar, wie zum Beispiel die Webseite, die eine Vielzahl von Informationen und Produkten anbietet.
Love at first sight
Australasian Gannets are monogamous and known to commit to the same partner for many mating seasons following successful rearing of their young. To ensure their success the pair build nests within breeding colonies that are often on offshore islands free from land based predatory pressures. These nests are built from seaweed and guano and help to insulate a single egg from the elements.
RAISING CHICKS
Female Australasian Gannets produce a single egg. These eggs are incubated by both parents and as the egg hatches into a young chick, the parents coordinate a unique feeding behavioural adaptation that maximises the young chick’s chances of survival.
Utilising GPS trackers
Researchers from Deakin University identified feeding patterns of Australasian Gannets at the Popes Eye colony were different within a mating pair.
The tracks identified that male birds fed along shallow sand bars within Port Phillip Bay, whilst female birds chose to feed outside Port Phillip Heads. It is hypothesised that these altered feeding locations provide the greatest opportunity for the parents to catch food for their chick.
Eating Behaviour
While feeding at sea, Australasian Gannets are known to mostly hunt fish and cephalopods. They do this by identifying their prey at heights of up to 20m above sea level and then diving from the sky into the ocean, where they catch their prey.
Australasian Gannets have been recorded reaching 70km/hr and diving to depths of up to 30 meters. Gannets have developed morphological traits that allow them to impact the water at such high speeds by way of an air sac on the top of their head.
Of the feeding behaviour observed by Deakin University researchers, it was found that over 90% of the feeding behaviour that was captured on video was associated with marine mammals assisting to bring a school of fish together. This means that when you see Gannets feeding there are probably seals and dolphins there too.
Human interaction with Australasian Gannets
The interaction is mostly respectful, with Gannet colonies being respectfully visited by eco-tourism organisations and watched by beachgoers as they glide effortlessly above the ocean, riding the upwelling of air above oceanic waves. The species is protected within Australia and is not considered a threatened species.
Different Stages of Life Activity
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Ecosystem Activity
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Colouring Activity
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