Northern Fulmar vs Broad-billed Prion
Fulmarus glacialis compared with Pachyptila vittata
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Northern Fulmar | Broad-billed Prion |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Fulmarus glacialis | Pachyptila vittata |
| Order | Procellariiformes | Procellariiformes |
| Family | Procellariidae | Procellariidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | 47.0 cm (18.5 in) | — |
| Wingspan | 107.0 cm (42.1 in) | 39.0 cm (15.4 in) |
| Weight | 750.0 g (26.46 oz) | 187.0 g (6.60 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
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.
Broad-billed Prion
Geographic Range & Migration
Northern Fulmar
North Atlantic and North Pacific oceans. Breeds from the Arctic south to Britain, France, and New England.
Broad-billed Prion
Conservation Status
Northern Fulmar
Broad-billed Prion
How to Tell Them Apart
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
Broad-billed Prion
About These Birds
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.
Broad-billed Prion
25–30 cm, wingspan 57–66 cm. Largest prion; pale blue-grey above, white below with dark M-mark across wings. Bill broad, blue with lamellae for filter-feeding on copepods. Breeds Tristan da Cunha and New Zealand subantarctic. Feeds by hydroplaning with bill submerged.