Kerguelen Petrel vs Northern Fulmar
Aphrodroma brevirostris compared with Fulmarus glacialis
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Kerguelen Petrel | Northern Fulmar |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Aphrodroma brevirostris | Fulmarus glacialis |
| Order | Procellariiformes | Procellariiformes |
| Family | Procellariidae | Procellariidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | 47.0 cm (18.5 in) |
| Wingspan | 48.0 cm (18.9 in) | 107.0 cm (42.1 in) |
| Weight | 353.0 g (12.45 oz) | 750.0 g (26.46 oz) |
| Diet | -- | Fish, squid, crustaceans, offal from fishing vessels, and zooplankton. Feeds by surface-seizing and shallow plunge-diving. |
| Clutch Size | 1 | 1 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Size Comparison
Habitat Comparison
Northern Fulmar
Open ocean and sea cliffs. Breeds on cliff ledges and grassy slopes on northern coastlines. Pelagic outside breeding season.
Song & Call Comparison
Kerguelen Petrel
Northern Fulmar
A nasal, cackling 'kak-kak-kak-kak' or grunting 'uh-uh-uh' at the nest and colony. Less melodic than petrels. In flight gives occasional single nasal calls.
Geographic Range & Migration
Kerguelen Petrel
Northern Fulmar
North Atlantic and North Pacific oceans. Breeds from the Arctic south to Britain, France, and New England.
Conservation Status
Kerguelen Petrel
Northern Fulmar
How to Tell Them Apart
Kerguelen Petrel
Northern Fulmar
Yellowish hooked bill with prominent tubular nostrils on top
About These Birds
Kerguelen Petrel
33–36 cm, wingspan 80–85 cm. Dark grey-brown with short rounded bill; distinctive silvery-white flash on leading edge of underwing. Breeds Tristan da Cunha, Gough, Crozet, and Kerguelen. Ranges widely in Southern Ocean; feeds on fish and squid; solitary at sea.
Northern Fulmar
The northern fulmar is a long-lived seabird that can survive over 40 years. It defends its nest by projectile-vomiting a foul-smelling stomach oil at intruders, which can mat the feathers of predators and cause fatal loss of waterproofing. Fulmars have expanded their breeding range dramatically southward over the past two centuries.