It is the most widely distributed and common small carnivore in KwaZulu-Natal, and rests in large trees, rock overhangs and caves. Combining speed and stealth, they dash forward in an elusive fashion, broken up by short pauses. [5], Like in all Viverrinae, its dental formula is: 3.1.4.23.1.4.2. The main cause is lack of food. [5], A captive breeding pair regularly had litters of two young. The Afrikaans name for the Cape Gannet Morus capensis is “Malgas”, meaning “mad goose”. But one thing is for sure: conservation action needs to be ramped up if we are to prevent the world’s most notorious glutton from starving. In South Africa, the fish stocks have shifted from the West coast to the South and East. But while there is evidence that eating hake discards has helped adult Cape Gannets maintain body weight and condition when they cannot find their natural food, it has also proved to be a double-edged sword. [12], Cape genets feed mostly on rodents such as African vlei rats, rock rats, mice and birds. Natural History Collections Department of Iziko Museums of South Africa. An investigation of morpho-anatomical characters within the genus. Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas (IBA) - Africa, Like most websites we use cookies. [10] They use latrine sites to defecate. It lives in moist environments near streams, rivers and standing water, in lowland and mountain fynbos, where vegetation cover is high. They are considered to be opportunistic omnivores, since they also catch and feed on insects, spiders, scorpions, and scavenge fish on the beach. The Afrikaans name for the Cape Gannet Morus capensis is “Malgas”, meaning “mad goose”. During the day, they rest in trees high above the ground.

The Cape gannet is also very similar to the northern gannet, but the latter differs from its entirely white tail and its wings, which are only black at the tip.
BirdLife South Africa is currently working with the government and fishing industry to ensure the changed fish distribution is taken into account. This makes sense when you see this large seabird on the ground. [4] The three gannets are generally considered to be separate species forming a superspecies, though they have also formerly been classified as subspecies of the northern gannet (Sula bassanus).[5]. But at sea and they are different birds entirely. The Sulidae, the gannets and boobies, appeared about 30 million years ago. And it’s not just sub-standard food the juveniles have to worry about. Morus capensis. Birds appear to not be prevalent in their diet. In characteristically undignified style, Cape Gannets make their nests using their own guano - so excessive guano harvesting for fertiliser may also be decreasing their breeding succes, as it inhibits some birds from laying.

Its tail is black and white banded with a black tip. BirdLife International. [4][5] du Toit, M. & Cooper, J. But these seabirds, endemic to South Africa and Namibia, have recently been uplisted by BirdLife from Vulnerable to Endangered on the IUCN Red List. They mark by depositing a secretion from the anal sac. They normally nest in large and dense colonies on flat islands or on flat ledges of the steeply sloping Mercury Island off Namibia. [5]

At closer range the distinctive golden crown and nape, which gradually becomes white on the neck, is noticeable. Its ears are grey. Also seeds, leaves and grass was found in their stomachs, as well as beetles, grasshoppers, crickets, locusts and termites. They are easily identified by their large size, black and white plumage and distinctive yellow crown and hindneck. Sardine and anchovy are full of omega-3 fatty acids that we humans are always being urged to eat.

When walking on branches, they stay low and laterally swing their legs out so that any misstep is easily correctable. [6]

Cape gannets use their feet to incubate the egg. The latter then splitting into the Cape and Australasian gannets around 0.5 million years ago. Cape gannets begin breeding in August or September. Adult females range from 427 to 560 mm (16.8 to 22.0 in) in head and body with a 385 to 432 mm (15.2 to 17.0 in) long tail and a weight of 1.36 to 1.870 kg (3.00 to 4.12 lb).

[4], Measurements of adult males range from 460 to 580 mm (18 to 23 in) in head and body with a 390 to 459 mm (15.4 to 18.1 in) long tail and a weight of 1.6 to 2.1 kg (3.5 to 4.6 lb). But at sea and they are different birds entirely. Gannets use their foot webs to incubate the egg. 2018. They are weaned at about 2.5 months and hunt on their own when about seven months old. Until very recently, thousands of seabirds, including gannets, were being accidentally tangled and drowned in the fishing gear of these vessels. South Africa – Bird Island (Lambert’s Bay), Bird Island (Algoa Bay) and Malgas Island.

The foot webs, which are richly irrigated with blood vessels are wrapped around the egg. The breeding range of the Cape gannet is restricted to southern Africa in three islands off Namibia and three islands off South Africa. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2018: e.T22696668A132587992. Gestation periods last about 70 days. [10] The Cape gannet is identified from the Australasian gannet by the all-black tail, a longer black stripe down the throat (from underneath the beak) and more extensive black on the face, but all of these features are difficult to identify unless at close proximity. Other researchers are working towards identifying and protecting important foraging areas for gannets. To add to their struggle, Cape Gannets also face threats from oil spills in an increasingly active shipping region at the southern tip of Africa. At eight weeks the chick outweighs the adult, and this remains so until it becomes a fledgling at 95–105 days of age. The conservation status of mustelids and viverrids in Southern Africa. Adults are about 84–94 cm (33–37 in) long and have a 171–185 cm (67–73 in) wingspan and weigh ca. Namibia In Namibia, overfishing of the gannets’ preferred prey, sardine and anchovy, caused the almost complete collapse of fish stocks in the 1960s, and they have yet to recover. Small Carnivore Conservation 3: 16. Cape gannets are powerful fliers, using mainly a flap-gliding technique, which is more energy consuming than the dynamic-soaring favoured by albatrosses.
This contrasts with the trends at the South African islands where numbers have increased about 4.3 times during the same period, from 34,400 to 148,000 breeding pairs. As it is common and not … Some individuals living in areas with more than 375 mm (14.8 in) annual precipitation are darker than individuals from drier areas. [8][9], In South Africa, the Cape genet is distributed from the Western Cape to KwaZulu-Natal, south of 32°S, and to the Lesotho border.

Olfactory communication is most likely very important in the life of Cape genets, their social environment and life cycle. The boats process their catch as they go, dumping the heads, tails and guts of the filleted fish overboard. Cape Gannets breed on offshore islands, with three breeding sites found in South Africa.

It also is similar to the blue-footed booby (Sula nebouxii). (2000). Western Palearctic list update: deletion of Cape Gannet, https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2018-2.RLTS.T22696668A132587992.en, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Cape_gannet&oldid=968531414, Short description is different from Wikidata, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, Cape gannet, Birds Island, Lamberts Bay, South Africa. (2002). The young open their eyes 10 days after birth, their canine teeth break through at the age of four weeks. While a diet of “junk food” can sustain the adults, research has shown that chicks fed on hake discards grow more slowly and have a lower chance of survival than those fed on a more natural diet.