Emperor Penguin vs Northern Fulmar
Aptenodytes forsteri compared with Fulmarus glacialis
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Emperor Penguin | Northern Fulmar |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Aptenodytes forsteri | Fulmarus glacialis |
| Order | Sphenisciformes | Procellariiformes |
| Family | Spheniscidae | Procellariidae |
| Conservation Status | Near Threatened | Least Concern |
| Length | 115.0 cm (45.3 in) | 47.0 cm (18.5 in) |
| Wingspan | 76.0 cm (29.9 in) | 107.0 cm (42.1 in) |
| Weight | 30000.0 g (1058.22 oz) | 750.0 g (26.46 oz) |
| Diet | Primarily Antarctic silverfish, krill, and squid. The deepest-diving bird, reaching depths over 500 meters and … | 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
Emperor Penguin
Antarctic pack ice and surrounding Southern Ocean. The only penguin species that breeds during the Antarctic winter.
Northern Fulmar
Open ocean and sea cliffs. Breeds on cliff ledges and grassy slopes on northern coastlines. Pelagic outside breeding season.
Song & Call Comparison
Emperor Penguin
Loud, resonant trumpeting calls used for individual recognition in dense colonies. Each bird's call is unique in frequency. Also gives softer contact 'braying' notes.
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
Emperor Penguin
Antarctic continent and surrounding sea ice. Breeding colonies are found along the entire Antarctic coastline.
Northern Fulmar
North Atlantic and North Pacific oceans. Breeds from the Arctic south to Britain, France, and New England.
Conservation Status
Emperor Penguin
Northern Fulmar
How to Tell Them Apart
Emperor Penguin
Black head, chin, and dorsal side with white belly. Bright yellow-orange ear patches fade to pale yellow on the upper breast.
Long, slightly decurved bill — black with orange or pink mandible stripe
Northern Fulmar
Light morph: white head and underparts with grey wings and back. Dark morph: entirely grey. Tube-nosed bill and stiff-winged flight distinctive at sea.
Yellowish hooked bill with prominent tubular nostrils on top
About These Birds
Emperor Penguin
The emperor penguin is the tallest and heaviest of all penguin species. They breed in the harshest conditions on Earth, enduring Antarctic winter temperatures of -60 C and wind speeds of 200 km/h. Males incubate the single egg on their feet under a brood pouch for about 65 days while fasting.
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.