Team Work

Cape Gannets eat a diversity of fish and the occasional squid and also scavenge from trawlers.

- By Peter Ryan

Cape Gannets forage socially, often leading to intense competition when scavenging from fisheries. But when they target sardines, their preferred natural prey, they benefit from feeding together.

However, sardines and to a lesser extent anchovies are their preferred prey. These pelagic fish are especially important when the birds are breeding: chicks raised on bottom fish and fishery discards grow more slowly than those fed oil-rich pelagic fish. Studies on other seabirds indicate that chicks fed a low-quality diet also suffer reduced cognitive abilities and are less able to cope in a changing world.