A medium gull-sized seabird that nests on cliffs and feeds offshore. Among the longest-lived seabirds — verified individuals over 40 years.
§ Quick facts
§ Encyclopedia
The northern fulmar, Arctic fulmar, or simply fulmar is an abundant seabird found primarily in subarctic regions of the North Atlantic and North Pacific oceans. There has been one confirmed sighting in the Southern Hemisphere, with a single bird seen south of New Zealand. Fulmars come in one of two colour morphs; a light one in temperate populations, with white head and body and grey wings and tail, and a dark one in arctic populations, which is uniformly grey; intermediate birds are common. Though similar in appearance to gulls, fulmars are in fact members of the family Procellariidae, which includes petrels and shearwaters.
Source: Wikipedia — Northern fulmar Licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0
§ Identification
Field marks. Stocky, gull-like seabird with a thick neck, a stubby tube-nosed bill, and stiff-winged gliding flight; occurs in pale (gull-gray-and-white) and dark (uniform gray) morphs.
Similar species. Gulls have slimmer bills and flap more; the fulmar's tube-nosed bill, bull neck, and stiff-winged glide on straight wings are distinctive.
Voice. Cackling, grunting, and chuckling calls at the colony; silent at sea.
§ Diet & behavior
Diet. Fish, squid, crustaceans caught at sea surface.
Behavior. A gull-like tubenose of cold northern oceans, long-lived and slow-breeding; defends its nest by projectile-spitting foul stomach oil and follows ships for scraps.
§ Range
Arctic, North Atlantic, North Pacific
§ Habitat
Pelagic seas, cliff nest sites
§ Threats
Marine plastic ingestion, oil spills, climate change.
§ Conservation status
According to the IUCN Red List, the northern fulmar is currently classified as Least Concern.
§ What helps
Reduce ocean plastic. Support seabird research.
§ Further reading
- Wikipedia — Northern fulmar
- www.allaboutbirds.org — authoritative profile of Fulmarus glacialis
- IUCN Red List — search for Fulmarus glacialis
- GBIF occurrence records
- Encyclopedia of Life — Fulmarus glacialis
§ Sources cited
- Cornell Lab of Ornithology — All About Birds
- National Audubon Society
- iNaturalist
- IUCN Red List
