A "stunned" young Northern Gannet on the beach of eastern Florida. Do not know what happened for sure, but my presence was stressing the bird out so I backed off and watched it for awhile and then went the other way. Injured birds know instinctively to rest and will usually recover. Later it indeed seemed to be recovering in the surf. Juvenile Gannets look nothing like their mature parents and take 3 years to mature. They are pelagic birds that breed in large colonies and spend their life at sea - it is rare to find one alone onshore. Juveniles are all dark, covered in white spots, and with white rump. Takes three or more years to get adult plumage; immature birds can be a mix of dark and light markings.

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