---
title: "Cape Gannet"
description: "Morus capensis — Birds. The Cape gannet (Morus capensis) is a large seabird of the gannet family, Sulidae."
canonical: https://animalchecklist.com/animal/cape-gannet
last_updated: 2026-09-20
---

# Cape Gannet

> Morus capensis — Birds. The Cape gannet (Morus capensis) is a large seabird of the gannet family, Sulidae.

- Scientific name: *Morus capensis*
- Category: `birds` (Birds)
- Habitats: `sea` (Sea & coast)
- iNaturalist observations: 1264
- Wikidata: [Q923985](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q923985)
- iNaturalist taxon: [3803](https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/3803)

## Names

- en: Cape Gannet
- de: Kaptölpel
- es: Alcatraz de El Cabo
- fr: Fou du Cap
- nl: Kaapse jan-van-gent
- pt: Atobá-do-cabo / alcatraz-do-cabo
- pl: Głuptak przylądkowy

## Countries with the most observations

ZA (922), NA (71), AU (36)

## Summary

The Cape gannet (Morus capensis) is a large seabird of the gannet family, Sulidae.
They are easily identified by their large size, black and white plumage and distinctive yellow crown and hindneck. The pale blue bill is pointed with fine serrations near the tip; perhaps because of the depth and speed of the gannet's dive when fishing (depending on altitude, gannets hit the water at speeds of between 40 and 86 km/h (25 and 53 mph)), its beak has no external nostrils into which the water might be forced. The widely mentioned maximum speed of 120 km/h has never been measured and published.

Text: Wikipedia (en), CC BY-SA 4.0 — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cape_gannet

## Photo

![Cape Gannet](https://animalchecklist.com/img/animals/cape-gannet/medium.jpg)

Photo: flamelily · CC0 · inaturalist — https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/149382229

## Machine access

`GET https://animalchecklist.com/api/v1/animals/cape-gannet?lang=en` — see [openapi.json](https://animalchecklist.com/openapi.json).