Short-tailed Shearwater vs Northern Fulmar
Ardenna tenuirostris compared with Fulmarus glacialis
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Short-tailed Shearwater | Northern Fulmar |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Ardenna tenuirostris | Fulmarus glacialis |
| Order | Procellariiformes | Procellariiformes |
| Family | Procellariidae | Procellariidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | 47.0 cm (18.5 in) |
| Wingspan | 52.4 cm (20.6 in) | 107.0 cm (42.1 in) |
| Weight | 695.0 g (24.52 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
Short-tailed Shearwater
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
Short-tailed Shearwater
Northern Fulmar
North Atlantic and North Pacific oceans. Breeds from the Arctic south to Britain, France, and New England.
Conservation Status
Short-tailed Shearwater
Northern Fulmar
How to Tell Them Apart
Short-tailed Shearwater
Northern Fulmar
Yellowish hooked bill with prominent tubular nostrils on top
About These Birds
Short-tailed Shearwater
41–43 cm, wingspan 95–100 cm. Sooty-brown; silvery underwing flash. Breeds Bass Strait islands (Australia) in enormous numbers; one of the world's most abundant seabirds. Migrates to North Pacific in vast flocks. Feeds on krill and fish. Harvested sustainably as 'muttonbirds' in Tasmania.
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.