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Story: Gannets and boobies

Courtship rituals

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Courtship rituals

Gannets conduct a distinctive mating display. The two birds bow, point their heads skywards and preen each other. They usually form lifelong pairs and begin breeding at four or five years of age.

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Department of Conservation

Reference: 10038406

by Rod Morris

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How to cite this page

Maggy Wassilieff, Gannets and boobies – Gannets: life history and feeding, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/photograph/5833/courtship-rituals (accessed 4 June 2026).

Story by Maggy Wassilieff, published 2 March 2009.