Northern Fulmar vs Mascarene Petrel
Fulmarus glacialis compared with Pseudobulweria aterrima
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Northern Fulmar | Mascarene Petrel |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Fulmarus glacialis | Pseudobulweria aterrima |
| Order | Procellariiformes | Procellariiformes |
| Family | Procellariidae | Procellariidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Critically Endangered |
| Length | 47.0 cm (18.5 in) | — |
| Wingspan | 107.0 cm (42.1 in) | 50.6 cm (19.9 in) |
| Weight | 750.0 g (26.46 oz) | 220.66666666666666 g (7.78 oz) |
| Diet | Fish, squid, crustaceans, offal from fishing vessels, and zooplankton. Feeds by surface-seizing and shallow plunge-diving. | -- |
| Clutch Size | 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.
Mascarene Petrel
Geographic Range & Migration
Northern Fulmar
North Atlantic and North Pacific oceans. Breeds from the Arctic south to Britain, France, and New England.
Mascarene Petrel
Conservation Status
Northern Fulmar
Mascarene 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
Mascarene 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.
Mascarene Petrel
35–36 cm. All-black petrel with hooked bill. Critically Endangered; breeds only Réunion Island; fewer than 250 adults estimated. One of the rarest seabirds. Threatened by introduced predators and light attraction; known mainly from bones and very occasional sightings at sea.