These Cape gannets may be the picture of elegance, but they're surprisingly rowdy, as a photographer discovered during a three-day shoot of the birds on South Africa's Malgas Island. "They kept up a racket 24 hours a day," he says. "It was almost deafening." From National Geographic Collector's Edition: 100 Best Unpublished Pictures, November 2003. Photograph by Chris JohnsThe ecosystem of the Cape Gannet, a protected bird species, has gone haywire. As a result of overfishing, the birds are no longer able to find enough food to rear their young. Pelicans, kelp gulls and seals are becoming increasing threats – the lack of fish means that these predators are attacking Cape Gannet chicks more often.

This has been revealed by research conducted by biologist Ralf Mullers. He will be awarded a PhD by the University of Groningen on 4 May 2009. The Cape Gannet (Morus capensis) is a member of the same family as the pelican. The birds can grow to almost a metre and have a wingspan of nearly two metres. There are only six breeding colonies in the world – three in Namibia and three in South Africa. Since the 1960s, the number of breeding pairs in the colonies in Namibia has been decreasing due to overfishing of sardines and anchovies. In the last ten years, the breeding colonies on the west coast of South Africa have also been getting smaller. This is partly because the schools of anchovies and sardines have moved to the south and east coasts of South Africa. … The decline in the colony on Malgas is due to the dangers the chicks are exposed to, Mullers discovered. Among other things, pelicans are a particular threat. These birds originally only ate fish, but due to the lack of fish they’ve become accustomed to eating other birds. They’ve also learnt to eat slaughterhouse waste, present in large amounts at neighbouring pig farms. Mullers: ‘Pelicans are originally protected birds too. Now one protected bird species needs to be protected against another one. On Malgas you can see entire colonies of gannets being destroyed by pelicans – they can even swallow chicks weighing almost two kilos.’ … If extinction of the gannet is to be prevented, its foraging ranges must be protected. In other words, there must be a limit on the number of sardines and anchovies caught in the bird’s foraging range. Mullers: ‘There are naturally major economic interests involved. It would be great if my research could contribute to the debate on this matter.’

Ecosystem Gone Haywire: Cape Gannet Bird Threatened With Extinction