Greater Flamingo vs Northern Fulmar
Phoenicopterus roseus compared with Fulmarus glacialis
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Greater Flamingo | Northern Fulmar |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Phoenicopterus roseus | Fulmarus glacialis |
| Order | Phoenicopteriformes | Procellariiformes |
| Family | Phoenicopteridae | Procellariidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | 130.0 cm (51.2 in) | 47.0 cm (18.5 in) |
| Wingspan | 160.0 cm (63.0 in) | 107.0 cm (42.1 in) |
| Weight | 3500.0 g (123.46 oz) | 750.0 g (26.46 oz) |
| Diet | Algae, diatoms, brine shrimp, and small crustaceans filtered from shallow alkaline or saline water. Carotenoid … | Fish, squid, crustaceans, offal from fishing vessels, and zooplankton. Feeds by surface-seizing and shallow plunge-diving. |
| Clutch Size | 1-3 | 1 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Size Comparison
Habitat Comparison
Greater Flamingo
Shallow alkaline or saline lakes, coastal lagoons, mudflats, and salt pans. Requires large undisturbed areas for breeding colonies.
Northern Fulmar
Open ocean and sea cliffs. Breeds on cliff ledges and grassy slopes on northern coastlines. Pelagic outside breeding season.
Song & Call Comparison
Greater Flamingo
Loud, nasal goose-like honking 'ka-ha' calls, often in chorus at breeding colonies. Also gives softer gabbling and grunting sounds while feeding and preening.
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
Greater Flamingo
Africa, southern Europe, the Middle East, and the Indian subcontinent. Irregular visitor to northern Europe.
Northern Fulmar
North Atlantic and North Pacific oceans. Breeds from the Arctic south to Britain, France, and New England.
Conservation Status
Greater Flamingo
Northern Fulmar
How to Tell Them Apart
Greater Flamingo
Predominantly white-pink plumage with bright crimson-pink wing coverts revealed in flight. Long pink legs and a sinuous neck. Intensity of color depends on diet.
Large, downward-bent bill — pink with a black tip, adapted for filter feeding
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
Greater Flamingo
The greater flamingo is the most widespread flamingo species and one of the most recognizable birds in the world. Their pink color comes entirely from carotenoid pigments in their crustacean and algal diet. Flamingos are social birds that breed in enormous colonies sometimes numbering tens of thousands.
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.