Northern Fulmar vs Yelkouan Shearwater
Fulmarus glacialis compared with Puffinus yelkouan
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Northern Fulmar | Yelkouan Shearwater |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Fulmarus glacialis | Puffinus yelkouan |
| 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) | 45.8 cm (18.0 in) |
| Weight | 750.0 g (26.46 oz) | 422.5 g (14.90 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.
Yelkouan Shearwater
Geographic Range & Migration
Northern Fulmar
North Atlantic and North Pacific oceans. Breeds from the Arctic south to Britain, France, and New England.
Yelkouan Shearwater
Conservation Status
Northern Fulmar
Yelkouan Shearwater
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
Yelkouan 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.
Yelkouan Shearwater
30–38 cm. Brown-black above, white below; similar to Manx but darker with brown flanks and dusky undertail. Breeds Mediterranean islands and coasts. Non-breeding range in eastern Mediterranean and Black Sea. Vulnerable; threatened by introduced predators and light pollution. Feeds on fish and squid.