Northern Fulmar vs Westland Petrel
Fulmarus glacialis compared with Procellaria westlandica
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Northern Fulmar | Westland Petrel |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Fulmarus glacialis | Procellaria westlandica |
| Order | Procellariiformes | Procellariiformes |
| Family | Procellariidae | Procellariidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Endangered |
| Length | 47.0 cm (18.5 in) | — |
| Wingspan | 107.0 cm (42.1 in) | 73.8 cm (29.1 in) |
| Weight | 750.0 g (26.46 oz) | 1111.5 g (39.21 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.
Westland Petrel
Geographic Range & Migration
Northern Fulmar
North Atlantic and North Pacific oceans. Breeds from the Arctic south to Britain, France, and New England.
Westland Petrel
Conservation Status
Northern Fulmar
Westland 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
Westland 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.
Westland Petrel
51 cm. Large all-black petrel; pale yellowish bill with dark culmen. Breeds only in inland forests of Westland, South Island, New Zealand. Vulnerable; the only procellariid nesting in inland forest. Migrates to southern Pacific; feeds on squid and fish.