Data Zone
Adams, N.J. and Navarro, R.A. 2005. Foraging of a coastal seabird: flight patterns and movements of breeding Cape gannets Morus capensis. African Journal of Marine Science 27(1): 239-248.
Barnes, K. N. 1998. The Important Bird Areas of southern Africa. BirdLife South Africa, Johannesburg.
Cohen, L.A., Pichegru, L., Grémillet, D., Coetzee, J., Upfold, L. and Ryan, P.G. 2014. Changes in prey availability impact the foraging behaviour and fitness of Cape gannets over a decade. Marine Ecology Progress Series 505: 281-293.
Crawford, R.J.M. 1999. Seabird responses to long-term changes of prey resources off southern Africa. 22nd International Ornithological Congress: 688–705. Durban.
Crawford, R.J.M. and Dyer, B.M. 1995. Responses by four seabird species to a fluctuating availability of Cape anchovy (Engraulis capensis) off South Africa. Ibis 127: 329-339.
Crawford, R.J.M., Dundee, B.L., Dyer, B.M., Klages, N.T.W., Meyer, M.A. and Upfold, L. 2007. Trends in numbers of Cape gannets (Morus capensis), 1956/1957-2005/2006, with a consideration of the influence of food and other factors. ICES Journal of Marine Science 64(1): 169-177.
Crawford, R.J.M., Makhado, A.B., Waller, L.J., Whittington, P.A. 2014. Winners and losers – responses to recent environmental change by South African seabirds that compete with purse-seine fisheries for food. Ostrich 85: 111–117.
Crawford, R.J.M., Makhado, A.B., Whittington, P.A., Randall, R.M., Oosthuizen, W.H. and Waller, L.J. 2015. A changing distribution of seabirds in South Africa – the possible impact of climate and its consequences. Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution 3(10): 1-10.
Crawford, R.J.M., Shelton, P.A., Cooper, J. and Brooke, R.K. 1983. Distribution, population size and conservation of the Cape gannet Morus capensis. South African Journal of Marine Science 1: 153–174.
del Hoyo, J.; Elliot, A.; Sargatal, J. 1992. Handbook of the Birds of the World, Vol. 1: Ostrich to Ducks. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona, Spain.
Du Toit, M. and Bartlett, P. A. 2001. ‘Soaked’ Cape Gannets at Ichaboe Island, Namibia. Bird Numbers 10: 8-9.
Du Toit, M.; Boere, G. C.; Cooper, J.; de Villiers, M. S.; Kemper, J.; Lenton, B.; Petersen, S. L.; Simmons, R. E.; Whittington, P. A.; Byers, O. P. 2002. Conservation assessment and management plan for southern African seabirds.
Grémillet, D., Péron, C., Kato, A., Amélineau, F., Ropert-Coudert, Y., Ryan, P.G. and Pichegru, L. 2016. Starving seabirds: unprofitable foraging and its fitness consequences in Cape gannets competing with fisheries in the Benguela upwelling ecosystem. Marine Biology 163(2): 1-11.
Grémillet, D.; Pichegru, L.; Kuntz, G.; Woakes, A. G.; Wilkinson, S.; Crawford, R. J. M.; Ryan, P. G. 2008. A junk-food hypothesis for gannets feeding on fishery waste. Proceedings of the Royal Society of London Series B 275: 1149-1156.
Hockey, P.A.R.; Dean, W.R.J.; Ryan, P.G. 2005. Roberts Birds of Southern Africa. Trustees of the John Voelcker Bird Book Fund, Cape Town, South Africa.
Kemper J. 2015. Birds to watch in Namibia. Red, rare and endemic species. Ministry of Environment and Tourism, and Namibia Nature Foundation, Windhoek: 183–185.
Kemper, J.; Underhill, L. G.; Crawford, R. J. M.; Kirkman, S. P. 2007. Revision of the conservation status of seabirds and seals breeding in the Benguela Ecosystem. In: Kirkman, S. P. (ed.), Final Report of the BCLME (Benguela Current Large Marine Ecosystem), pp. 325-342.
Klages, N.T.W. 1994. Dispersal and site fidelity of Cape gannets Morus capensis. Ostrich 65: 218–224.
Makhado, A.B., Crawford, R.J.M. and Underhill, L.G. 2006. Impact of predation by cape fur seals Arctocephalus pusillus pusillus on Cape gannets Morus capensis at Malgas Island, Western Cape, South Africa. African Journal of Marine Science 28(3-4): 681-687.
Maree, B.A., Wanless, R.M., Fairweather, T.P., Sullivan, B.J. and Yates, O. 2014. Significant reductions in mortality of threatened seabirds in a South African trawl fishery. Animal Conservation 17: 520–529.
Mullers, R. 2009. Cape Gannet threatened with extinction. Available at: http://www.wildlifeextra.com/go/news/cape-gannet090.html.
Nelson, J. B. 2005. Pelicans, cormorants and their relatives. Pelecanidae, Sulidae, Phalacrocoracidae, Anhingidae, Fregatidae, Phaethontidae. Oxford University Press, Oxford, U.K.
Oatley ,T.B., Underhill, L.G. and Ross, G.J.B. 1992. Recovery rate of juvenile Cape gannets: a potential indicator of marine conditions. Colonial Waterbirds 15: 140–143.
Okes, N.C., Hockey, P.A., Pichegru, L., van der Lingen, C.D., Crawford, R.J., and Grémillet, D. 2009. Competition for shifting resources in the southern Benguela upwelling: seabirds versus purse-seine fisheries. Biological Conservation 142(10): 2361-2368.
Petersen, S., Nel, D., Ryan, P. and Underhill, L.G. 2008. Understanding and mitigating vulnerable bycatch in southern African trawl and longline fisheries. WWF South Africa Report Series – 2008/Marine/002.
Pichegru L, Ryan PG, Le Bohec C, van der Lingen CD, Navarro R, Petersen S, Lewis S, van der Westhuizen J, Grémillet D. 2009. Overlap between vulnerable top predators and fisheries in the Benguela upwelling system: implications for marine protected areas. Marine Ecology Progress Series 391: 199–208.
Pichegru, L., Ryan, P.G., Crawford, R.J., van der Lingen, C.D. and Grémillet, D. 2010. Behavioural inertia places a top marine predator at risk from environmental change in the Benguela upwelling system. Marine Biology 157(3): 537-544.
Spatz, D. R., Holmes, N. D., Reguero, B. G., Butchart, S. H. M., Tershy, B. R., and Croll, D. A. 2017. Managing Invasive mammals to conserve globally threatened seabirds in a changing climate. Conservation Letters 10: 736-747.
Tew Kai, E., Benhamou, S., Lingen, C.D., Coetzee, J.C., Pichegru, L., Ryan, P.G. and Gremillet, D. 2013. Are Cape gannets dependent upon fishery waste? A multi‐scale analysis using seabird GPS‐tracking, hydro‐acoustic surveys of pelagic fish and vessel monitoring systems. Journal of Applied Ecology 50(3): 659-670.
Australian Govt - Action Plan for Australian Birds 2000 - Recovery Outline
Search for photos and videos, and hear sounds of this species from the Macaulay Library
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Species factsheet: Cape Gannet Morus capensis. Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/species/factsheet/cape-gannet-morus-capensis on 22/11/2024.
Recommended citation for factsheets for more than one species: BirdLife International (2024) IUCN Red List for birds. Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/species/search on 22/11/2024.