Northern Fulmar vs White-necked Petrel
Fulmarus glacialis compared with Pterodroma cervicalis
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Northern Fulmar | White-necked Petrel |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Fulmarus glacialis | Pterodroma cervicalis |
| Order | Procellariiformes | Procellariiformes |
| Family | Procellariidae | Procellariidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Vulnerable |
| Length | 47.0 cm (18.5 in) | — |
| Wingspan | 107.0 cm (42.1 in) | 58.4 cm (23.0 in) |
| Weight | 750.0 g (26.46 oz) | 462.5 g (16.31 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
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.
White-necked Petrel
Geographic Range & Migration
Northern Fulmar
North Atlantic and North Pacific oceans. Breeds from the Arctic south to Britain, France, and New England.
White-necked Petrel
Conservation Status
Northern Fulmar
White-necked 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
White-necked 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.
White-necked Petrel
43 cm. Large gadfly petrel; dark above with white hindneck collar; white underparts with dark carpal bar. Breeds Kermadec and Phillip islands (Norfolk). Vulnerable; ranges in southwestern Pacific. Nocturnal at colonies; feeds on squid and fish.