Facts & Profile

Northern fulmar Fulmarus glacialis

The northern fulmar (Fulmarus glacialis), fulmar, or Arctic 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.

Description & appearance

The northern fulmar has a wingspan of 102 to 112 cm (40–44 in) and is 46 cm (18 in) in length. Body mass can range from 450 to 1,000 g (16 to 35 oz).[19] This species is grey and white with a pale yellow, thick bill and bluish legs. However, there are both a light morph and dark, or "blue", morph; in the Pacific Ocean there is an intermediate morph as well. Only the dark morph has more than dark edges on the underneath but they all have pale inner primaries on the top of the wings. The Pacific morph has a darker tail than the Atlantic morph.

Like other petrels, their walking ability is limited, but they are strong fliers, with a stiff wing action quite unlike the gulls. They look bull-necked compared to gulls, and have short stubby bills. They are long-lived, with a lifespan of 31 years not uncommon, and exceptionally over 50 years, recorded on Eynhallow in Orkney.

The mating ritual of this fulmar consists of the female resting on a ledge and the male landing with his bill open and his head back. He commences to wave his head side to side and up and down while calling.

Voice, singing & call

They make grunting and chuckling sounds while eating and guttural calls during the breeding season.

Diet

Northern fulmars will feed on shrimps, fish, squid, plankton, jellyfish, and carrion, as well as refuse. When eating fish, they will dive up to 4 metres deep to retrieve their prey.

Reproduction

The northern fulmar starts breeding at between six and twelve years old. It is monogamous, and forms long-term pair bonds. It returns to the same nest site year after year. The breeding season starts in May; however, the female has glands that store sperm to allow weeks to pass between copulation and the laying of the egg.

During the breeding season adult Fulmars usually remain within 500 km of their breeding colony instead of traveling up to thousands of kilometres while searching for food. Their nest is a scrape on a grassy ledge or a saucer of vegetation on the ground, lined with softer material. The birds nest in large colonies. Recently, they have started nesting on rooftops and buildings. Both sexes are involved in the nest-building process.

A single white egg, 74 mm × 51 mm (2.9 in × 2.0 in), is incubated for a period of 50 to 54 days, by both sexes. The altricial chick is brooded for 2 weeks and fully fledges after 70 to 75 days. Again, both sexes are involved. During this period, the parents are nocturnal, and will even be inactive on well-lit nights