Northern Fulmar vs Black-winged Petrel
Fulmarus glacialis compared with Pterodroma nigripennis
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Northern Fulmar | Black-winged Petrel |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Fulmarus glacialis | Pterodroma nigripennis |
| 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) | 44.3 cm (17.4 in) |
| Weight | 750.0 g (26.46 oz) | 179.5 g (6.33 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.
Black-winged Petrel
Geographic Range & Migration
Northern Fulmar
North Atlantic and North Pacific oceans. Breeds from the Arctic south to Britain, France, and New England.
Black-winged Petrel
Conservation Status
Northern Fulmar
Black-winged 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
Black-winged 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.
Black-winged Petrel
30 cm. Small gadfly petrel; pale grey above with dark M-mark; white below with dark carpal patch and partial collar. Breeds Lord Howe, Kermadec, and central Pacific islands. Migrates to North Pacific; feeds on small squid and fish.