Northern Fulmar vs Common Diving-petrel
Fulmarus glacialis compared with Pelecanoides urinatrix
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Northern Fulmar | Common Diving-petrel |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Fulmarus glacialis | Pelecanoides urinatrix |
| 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) | 24.3 cm (9.6 in) |
| Weight | 750.0 g (26.46 oz) | 135.5 g (4.78 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.
Common Diving-petrel
Geographic Range & Migration
Northern Fulmar
North Atlantic and North Pacific oceans. Breeds from the Arctic south to Britain, France, and New England.
Common Diving-petrel
Conservation Status
Northern Fulmar
Common Diving-petrel
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
Common Diving-petrel
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.
Common Diving-petrel
20–25 cm. Dark above; white below; broad wings used for underwater propulsion. Most widespread diving-petrel; breeds New Zealand, southern Australia, Falklands, and subantarctic islands. Feeds on small fish and crustaceans by diving. Highly vulnerable to introduced predators at nesting colonies.