Where have all the Gannets Gone?

[Jacalynn Furlong]

A well-known bird biologist is calling it an "extreme" event.  The gannets nesting at Cape St. Mary's have abandoned their chicks for cooler waters and Bill Montevecchi says that's something he's never seen in his 30 years as a scientist.  Guides at the popular bird sanctuary noticed the phenomenon earlier this month when the birds suddenly disappeared. Montevecchi says since then, there have been plenty of gannet sightings off the coast of Labrador and it now appears as though the birds are traveling further north to find food. He says that's because local water temperatures are 3 to 4 degrees higher than normal. He says they're getting lots of sightings in places like Battle Harbour, Torngat, the Strait of Belle Isle, and Point Amour.

Montevecchi says the same phenomenon is happening in Quebec.  Officials aren't sure if the gannets have abandoned the nests altogether, or if they're taking longer to get back to their chicks.  Whatever the case, the situation is lethal for chicks left to fend for themselves.

He says one gannet parent always stays with the chick while the other searches for food, but he says in this case, it's simply not happening. As a result, abandoned chicks are vulnerable to other adult birds and the elements, not to mention starvation.

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