One of three species (family Sulidae) of large, white seabirds with a yellow head and neck, and black wing tips, that dive headfirst into the water in pursuit of the fish on which they feed, and that nest colonially. The northern gannet (Morus bassanus) is the largest seabird in the North Atlantic, with a wingspan of up to 2 m. The other species (M. capensis and M. serrator) occur in sub-Saharan Africa and Australasia respectively.