Northern Fulmar vs Southern Cassowary
Fulmarus glacialis compared with Casuarius casuarius
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Northern Fulmar | Southern Cassowary |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Fulmarus glacialis | Casuarius casuarius |
| Order | Procellariiformes | Casuariiformes |
| Family | Procellariidae | Casuariidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | 47.0 cm (18.5 in) | 155.0 cm (61.0 in) |
| Wingspan | 107.0 cm (42.1 in) | 60.2 cm (23.7 in) |
| Weight | 750.0 g (26.46 oz) | 58000.0 g (2045.89 oz) |
| Diet | Fish, squid, crustaceans, offal from fishing vessels, and zooplankton. Feeds by surface-seizing and shallow plunge-diving. | Primarily fallen fruit from the rainforest floor, also fungi, invertebrates, and small vertebrates. A critical … |
| Clutch Size | 1 | 3-8 |
| 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.
Southern Cassowary
Tropical rainforests, mangroves, and adjacent habitat in New Guinea and northeastern Australia.
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.
Southern Cassowary
Produces very deep, booming rumbles and low-frequency calls below 20 Hz (infrasound), felt more than heard. Also gives loud bellowing grunts audible up to 1 km away.
Geographic Range & Migration
Northern Fulmar
North Atlantic and North Pacific oceans. Breeds from the Arctic south to Britain, France, and New England.
Southern Cassowary
New Guinea, nearby islands, and northeastern Queensland, Australia.
Conservation Status
Northern Fulmar
Southern Cassowary
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
Southern Cassowary
Glossy black hair-like plumage. Brilliant blue and red bare skin on the head and neck. A large bony casque crowns the head. Vestigial wings with no flight feathers.
Long, laterally compressed, dark grey bill
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.
Southern Cassowary
The southern cassowary is often called the most dangerous bird in the world due to its powerful legs and dagger-like inner claw that can reach 12 cm in length. Despite this reputation, cassowaries are vital rainforest keystone species, dispersing seeds of plants that no other animal can. The purpose of their distinctive casque remains debated.