Fulmarus glacialis
The Northern Fulmar, *Fulmarus glacialis*, is a fascinating and widespread seabird, often mistaken for a gull due to its appearance but belonging to the order Procellariiformes, closely related to petrels and shearwaters. This medium-sized bird measures 45-50 cm (17.5-20 in) in length with a wingspan of 100-120 cm (39-47 in) and typically weighs 700-1000g (1.5-2.2 lbs). It exhibits two main color morphs: a light morph with a white head and body, pale grey back and upperwings, and dark wingtip...
Exclusively pelagic, inhabiting cold, productive open ocean waters, coming ashore only to breed on coastal cliffs, ledges, or talus slopes at sea level.
Primarily consumes small fish, crustaceans (like euphausiids and copepods), squid, and offal or carrion, employing surface-feeding, shallow diving, and scavenging techniques.
Northern Fulmars are predominantly diurnal, spending the majority of their lives at sea, often resting on the water's surface when not actively foraging. Their foraging strategy involves surface-feeding, shallow pursuit diving to depths of a few meters, and opportunistic scavenging behind fishing...
The Northern Fulmar boasts a circumpolar distribution across the high Arctic and sub-Arctic regions of both the North Atlantic and North Pacific oceans. Its primary breeding range encompasses vast stretches of coastline in Greenland, Iceland, Svalbard, the Faroe Islands, the British Isles, Norway...
Least Concern
- The name 'Fulmar' comes from Old Norse 'fúll már', meaning 'foul gull', a nod to their distinctive stomach oil defense. - They can projectile vomit a foul-smelling, sticky, waxy stomach oil (a mixture of wax esters and triglycerides) up to several feet as a highly effective defense mechanism ag...