Northern Fulmar vs Hutton's Shearwater
Fulmarus glacialis compared with Puffinus huttoni
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Northern Fulmar | Hutton's Shearwater |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Fulmarus glacialis | Puffinus huttoni |
| 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) | 41.8 cm (16.5 in) |
| Weight | 750.0 g (26.46 oz) | 345.4166666666667 g (12.18 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.
Hutton's Shearwater
Geographic Range & Migration
Northern Fulmar
North Atlantic and North Pacific oceans. Breeds from the Arctic south to Britain, France, and New England.
Hutton's Shearwater
Conservation Status
Northern Fulmar
Hutton's Shearwater
How to Tell Them Apart
Northern Fulmar
Yellowish hooked bill with prominent tubular nostrils on top
Hutton's Shearwater
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.
Hutton's Shearwater
38 cm. Dark above; white below; larger than Fluttering Shearwater. Breeds only in alpine zone of Kaikoura Ranges, South Island, New Zealand. Endangered; very restricted inland breeding range unique among shearwaters; feeds at sea in Tasman Sea and off south Australia.