European Robin vs Northern Fulmar
Erithacus rubecula compared with Fulmarus glacialis
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | European Robin | Northern Fulmar |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Erithacus rubecula | Fulmarus glacialis |
| Order | Passeriformes | Procellariiformes |
| Family | Muscicapidae | Procellariidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | 14.0 cm (5.5 in) | 47.0 cm (18.5 in) |
| Wingspan | 21.0 cm (8.3 in) | 107.0 cm (42.1 in) |
| Weight | 18.0 g (0.63 oz) | 750.0 g (26.46 oz) |
| Diet | Insects, worms, and berries. Often follows gardeners and large animals to catch invertebrates disturbed from … | Fish, squid, crustaceans, offal from fishing vessels, and zooplankton. Feeds by surface-seizing and shallow plunge-diving. |
| Clutch Size | 4-7 | 1 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Size Comparison
Habitat Comparison
European Robin
Woodlands, hedgerows, parks, and gardens across Europe. Remarkably tame around humans, especially in Britain.
Northern Fulmar
Open ocean and sea cliffs. Breeds on cliff ledges and grassy slopes on northern coastlines. Pelagic outside breeding season.
Song & Call Comparison
European Robin
Exquisite, melancholic melody of thin whistled phrases, rising and falling softly. Rich, warbling song year-round; both sexes sing. Alarm call is a sharp 'tic-tic-tic'.
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
European Robin
Europe, western Asia, and parts of North Africa. Northern populations migrate south in winter; western European populations are largely resident.
Northern Fulmar
North Atlantic and North Pacific oceans. Breeds from the Arctic south to Britain, France, and New England.
Conservation Status
European Robin
Northern Fulmar
How to Tell Them Apart
European Robin
Olive-brown upperparts with a warm orange-red breast and face bordered by grey. White belly and undertail coverts.
Thin, pointed dark brown bill
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
European Robin
The European robin is one of the most beloved birds in Britain, where it is the unofficial national bird. Despite its friendly demeanor toward humans, robins are fiercely territorial against their own kind, singing year-round to defend territory. Their distinctive song is one of the first to be heard at dawn.
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.