Fulmarus glacialis
Northern Fulmar (Fulmarus glacialis)
Featured photonorthern-fulmar.jpgFulmarus glacialis, the northern fulmar, is a medium-sized tubenose seabird of the family Procellariidae, distributed across cold North Atlantic and Pacific waters. Adults are 43 to 52 cm long with a wingspan of 1.02 to 1.12 m and weigh 0.45 to 1 kg. The plumage is mostly grey-and-white in two colour morphs (light and dark), and the bill is distinctive — a heavy hooked bill with the tubular nostrils characteristic of all tubenoses. The IUCN lists the species as Least Concern. Northern fulmars defend nests by vomiting a foul-smelling stomach oil at attackers.
Quick facts
- Habitat
- Cold North Atlantic and North Pacific waters and adjacent coastlines. Breeds on cliff ledges of subarctic and arctic coasts.
- Range
- North Atlantic from the Canadian Arctic and Greenland east to the British Isles, Iceland, and Svalbard; North Pacific from the Bering Sea south to the northern Pacific. Range has expanded south in the North Atlantic over the twentieth century, possibly tracking fishing-fleet discards.
- Size
- 43–52 cm body · 102–112 cm wingspan · 0.45–1 kg
- Plumage
- Two colour morphs occur. The 'light' morph (predominant in the North Atlantic) shows pale grey upperparts and a white head and underparts. The 'dark' morph (predominant in the high Arctic and Pacific) shows uniformly dark grey plumage. The bill is heavy and yellow with the diagnostic raised tubular nostrils on top. Both sexes look alike. The fulmar's superficial gull-like shape is misleading — the species is far more closely related to albatrosses than to gulls.
- Song
- Adults give cackling, grunting, and chuckling calls at breeding cliffs and during pair-bonding. The species is mostly silent at sea.
- Migration
- Strongly pelagic outside the breeding season. Most birds disperse widely across the open ocean, with some moving substantially south in autumn. No regular long-distance migration in the songbird sense.
- Conservation
- Least Concern (LC)
Overview
Fulmarus glacialis is one of two Fulmarus fulmar species (with the southern fulmar F. glacialoides). The species' superficial gull-like appearance is misleading — fulmars are tubenose seabirds in the order Procellariiformes, more closely related to albatrosses and shearwaters than to gulls. The tubular nostrils on top of the bill are the diagnostic feature of the order and serve to excrete excess salt from drinking sea water.
Distribution and range expansion
The native range covers the cold North Atlantic and North Pacific. The North Atlantic population expanded dramatically southward through the twentieth century — the species first colonized the British Isles in the late nineteenth century (only St. Kilda before then), with the major southward expansion happening between about 1900 and 1970. The expansion likely tracked the rise of trawl fishing fleets that provided abundant discarded fish, and may also reflect long-term climate variation. The species is now common around the entire British and Irish coast.
Stomach-oil defence
Northern fulmars defend nests and chicks by vomiting a foul-smelling, oily, sticky stomach oil at attackers. The oil is rich in wax esters and triglycerides extracted from prey, has a strong distinctive odour, and matches the plumage of the attacker so thoroughly that the predator cannot easily clean it off. Fulmar chicks aim with surprising accuracy and can projectile-vomit several times in succession from inside the nest. The stomach oil is also fed to chicks as concentrated nutrition during the long chick-rearing period.
Sources & further reading (2)
- iucn-red-list — accessed 2026-04-30
- encyclopedia — accessed 2026-04-30
Frequently asked questions
Why do fulmars vomit at attackers?
Fulmars defend nests and chicks by projectile-vomiting a foul-smelling, oily stomach contents at perceived threats. The oil is rich in wax esters that mat into a predator's plumage, fur, or clothing and is essentially impossible to clean off in the field. For avian predators the oil-soaked feathers can lead to thermoregulatory failure and death; for human researchers it requires careful handling. Fulmar chicks can projectile-vomit several times in succession with surprising accuracy from inside the nest cavity.
Why did fulmars expand south in the twentieth century?
The North Atlantic fulmar population expanded dramatically southward through the twentieth century — colonizing the British Isles in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century, when the species had previously been restricted to the remote Scottish island of St. Kilda. The expansion likely tracked the rise of trawl-fishing fleets that provided abundant discarded fish for fulmars to scavenge. Climate variation and reduced human persecution may also have contributed. The species is now common around the entire British and Irish coast.
Are fulmars related to gulls?
No, despite the superficial similarity in size and grey-and-white plumage. Fulmars are tubenose seabirds in the order Procellariiformes (with albatrosses, shearwaters, and storm-petrels). The tubular nostrils on top of the bill — used to excrete excess dietary salt — are the diagnostic feature of the order and are absent in gulls. Tubenoses are far more closely related to penguins than to gulls; the resemblance to gulls is convergent.
