Arctic Tern vs Northern Fulmar
Sterna paradisaea comparé à Fulmarus glacialis
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribut | Arctic Tern | Northern Fulmar |
|---|---|---|
| Nom scientifique | Sterna paradisaea | Fulmarus glacialis |
| Ordre | Charadriiformes | Procellariiformes |
| Famille | Laridae | Procellariidae |
| Statut de conservation | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Longueur | 34,0 cm (13.4 in) | 47,0 cm (18.5 in) |
| Envergure | 80,0 cm (31.5 in) | 107,0 cm (42.1 in) |
| Poids | 110,0 g (3.88 oz) | 750,0 g (26.46 oz) |
| Régime alimentaire | Small fish and crustaceans caught by plunge-diving from the air. Hovers briefly before diving. | Fish, squid, crustaceans, offal from fishing vessels, and zooplankton. Feeds by surface-seizing and shallow plunge-diving. |
| Taille de la couvée | 2-3 | 1 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Size Comparison
Habitat Comparison
Habitats partagés
Aucun(e)
Arctic Tern only
Northern Fulmar only
Aucun(e)
Arctic Tern
Breeds on coastal and tundra habitats. Spends most of its life at sea over the open ocean. Nests in colonies on beaches and rocky shores.
Northern Fulmar
Open ocean and sea cliffs. Breeds on cliff ledges and grassy slopes on northern coastlines. Pelagic outside breeding season.
Song & Call Comparison
Arctic Tern
A sharp, grating 'kree-yah' alarm call. Also gives 'kik-kik-kik' near the nest. Highly aggressive vocally during the Arctic breeding season. Calls are harsh and insistent.
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.
Geographic Range & Migration
Arctic Tern
Breeds in the Arctic and sub-Arctic. Migrates to the Antarctic, experiencing two summers per year. Found on every ocean.
Northern Fulmar
North Atlantic and North Pacific oceans. Breeds from the Arctic south to Britain, France, and New England.
Statut de conservation
Arctic Tern
Northern Fulmar
How to Tell Them Apart
Arctic Tern
Pale grey upperparts, white underparts with a black cap. Blood-red bill and short red legs. Deeply forked tail streamers. Winter adults lose the full black cap.
Slender, pointed, bright red bill
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
About These Birds
Arctic Tern
The Arctic tern holds the record for the longest known migration of any animal, traveling roughly 70,000 km annually from Arctic to Antarctic and back. Over its 30-year lifespan, it may fly the equivalent of three round trips to the Moon. This remarkable bird experiences more daylight than any other creature on Earth.
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.