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Animal profile

Northern Fulmar

Fulmarus glacialis

AvesCold North Atlantic and North Pacific waters, breeding on sea cliffs and coastal slopesLeast Concern

Field profile

The northern fulmar is a stiff-winged tubenose that looks superficially like a gull but is related to petrels and albatrosses. It breeds on cliff ledges and feeds at sea on fish, offal and zooplankton. It is long-lived and slow to begin breeding.

Scope note

This is an editorial profile, not a diagnostic field-identification guide or a substitute for current conservation assessments. Follow the cited sources on each fact for the evidence trail.

Published field notes

2023-08-06

Northern Fulmar

The fulmar chick defends itself by spitting oil

A fulmar chick alone on a ledge projects a foul stomach oil at anything that approaches. The oil mats the plumage of an attacking bird, and seabirds that have been sprayed can lose waterproofing badly enough to die.

Read with evidence →

Northern Fulmar | Daily Animal Facts