Northern Fulmar vs Wandering Albatross
Fulmarus glacialis comparé à Diomedea exulans
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribut | Northern Fulmar | Wandering Albatross |
|---|---|---|
| Nom scientifique | Fulmarus glacialis | Diomedea exulans |
| Ordre | Procellariiformes | Procellariiformes |
| Famille | Procellariidae | Diomedeidae |
| Statut de conservation | Least Concern | Vulnerable |
| Longueur | 47,0 cm (18.5 in) | 117,0 cm (46.1 in) |
| Envergure | 107,0 cm (42.1 in) | 320,0 cm (126.0 in) |
| Poids | 750,0 g (26.46 oz) | 9000,0 g (317.47 oz) |
| Régime alimentaire | Fish, squid, crustaceans, offal from fishing vessels, and zooplankton. Feeds by surface-seizing and shallow plunge-diving. | Squid, fish, and crustaceans caught from the ocean surface, often at night. Follows fishing vessels … |
| Taille de la couvée | 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.
Wandering Albatross
Open ocean of the Southern Hemisphere. Breeds on remote sub-Antarctic islands. Spends years at sea between breeding attempts.
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.
Wandering Albatross
At nesting colonies emits a loud braying 'waaah' and guttural grunts. Silent at sea for most of the year. Courtship involves ritualized mutual bill-clapping and moaning calls.
Geographic Range & Migration
Northern Fulmar
North Atlantic and North Pacific oceans. Breeds from the Arctic south to Britain, France, and New England.
Wandering Albatross
Southern Ocean circumpolar, breeding on South Georgia, Crozet, Kerguelen, and other sub-Antarctic islands.
Statut de conservation
Northern Fulmar
Wandering Albatross
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
Wandering Albatross
Adults are mostly white with black trailing edges to the wings. Juveniles are chocolate brown, whitening progressively over 5-10 years. Pink bill and pale feet.
Very large pink bill with a hooked tip and visible tubular nostrils
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.
Wandering Albatross
The wandering albatross has the largest wingspan of any living bird, reaching up to 3.5 meters. These oceanic nomads can circumnavigate the globe, covering over 120,000 km per year using dynamic soaring with minimal wing flapping. Pairs mate for life and may live over 60 years.