Question 1: These determined divers are …
- Northern gannets
- Atlantic puffins
- Boobies
Answer: Northern gannets
Fact: The northern gannet nests on coastal cliffs in Western Europe and northeastern North America. To catch prey, it either plunge-dives from the air or dips from the water’s surface. It swallows its catch underwater and never flies with prey in its bill.
Question 2: What is the primary diet of the northern gannet?
- Insects
- Plankton
- Fish
Answer: Fish
Fact: Northern gannets mainly eat fish like sardines, anchovies, haddock, smelt, and Atlantic cod. They catch their prey with dramatic, high-speed dives. These expert hunters also migrate seasonally, tracking fish-rich waters along the Atlantic to maximize feeding opportunities.
Question 3: Where is the largest seabird breeding colony in the continental United States?
- Channel Islands
- Coronado Islands
- Farallon Islands
Answer: Farallon Islands
Fact: Situated off the coast of San Francisco within the nutrient-rich California Current, the Farallon Islands support more than 250,000 seabirds, making them the largest breeding colony outside of Alaska and Hawaii. With no other nearby large islands suitable for nesting, this critical reserve serves as an essential sanctuary in a biologically rich upwelling zone of the eastern Pacific.