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Northern Fulmar
Northern Fulmar
Conservation status
Least Concern (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Aves
Order:	Procellariiformes
Family:	Procellariidae
Genus:	Fulmarus
Species:	F. glacialis
Binomial name
Fulmaris glacialis (Linnaeus, 1761)[2]
Sub-species
Fulmarus glacialis glacialis (Linnaeus, 1761)[3] Fulmarus glacialis auduboni Fulmarus glacialis rodgersii
Distribution of the Northern Fulmar. Breeding=yellow, wintering range=blue

The Northern Fulmar , Fulmarus glacialis, Fulmar,^[2] or Arctic Fulmar^[4] lives in the north Atlantic and north Pacific. These fulmars look superficially like gulls, but are unrelated, and are in fact petrels.

Taxonomy

The Northern Fulmar and its sister, the Southern Fulmar, are the extant members of the Fulmarus genus. The Fulmars are in turn a member of the Procellariiformes order, and they all share certain identifying features. First, they have nasal passages that attach to the upper bill called naricorns. Although the nostrils on the Albatross are on the sides of the bill, as opposed to the rest of the order, including the Fulmars' which have the nostrils on top of the upper bill. The bills of Procellariiformes are also unique in that they are split into between 7 and 9 horny plates. One of these plates makes up the hooked portion of the upper bill, called the maxillary unguis. They produce a stomach oil made up of wax esters and triglycerides that is stored in the proventriculus. This is used against predators as well as an energy rich food source for chicks and for the adults during their long flights.^[5] It will mat the plumage of avian predators, and can lead to their death.^[6] Finally, they also have a salt gland that is situated above the nasal passage and helps desalinate their bodies, due to the high amount of ocean water that they imbibe. It excretes a high saline solution from their nose.^[6]

The Sibley-Ahlquist taxonomy gave a radically different scientific arrangement for this group based on DNA-DNA hybridization studies. This phenetic assessment is considered obsolete today, however.

The Northern Fulmar was first described as Fulmarus glacialis by Carolus Linnaeus, in 1761, based on a specimen from within the Arctic Circle, on Spitsbergen.^[4]

Sub-species

The Northern Fulmar consists of three sub-species,

• Fulmarus glacialis glacialis, the nominate race, which breeds in the high Arctic regions of the North Atlantic.^[7]
• Fulmarus glacialis auduboni, which breeds in the low Arctic and boreal regions of the North Atlantic.^[7]
• Fulmarus glacialis rodgersii, which breeds on the coast of eastern Siberia and the Alaskan Peninsula.^[7]

Etymology

Fulmarus glacialis can be broken down to the Old Norse word full meaning foul and mar meaning gull. Foul-gull is in reference to its stomach oil and also its superficial similarity to Seagulls. Finally, glacialis is Latin for glacial because of its extreme northern range.^[8]

Description

The Northern Fulmar has a wingspan of 102–112 cm (40–44 in)^[4] and is 46 cm (18 in).^[9][10][11] The species is grey and white with a pale yellow, thick, bill and bluish legs;^[12] however there is both a light morph and dark morph. In the Pacific Ocean there is an intermediate morph as well. All morphs have certain similarities, such as only the dark morph has more than dark edges on the underneath, and they all have pale inner primaries on the top of the wings. The Pacific morph has a darker tail than the Atlantic morph.^{[4][9][10][12][13][14][15]}

Like other petrels, their walking ability is limited, but they are strong fliers, with a stiff wing action quite unlike the gulls. They look bull-necked compared to gulls, and have short stubby bills.^[12] They are long-lived, with a lifespan of 31 years not uncommon.^[16]

Behavior

Feeding

This Fulmar will feed on shrimp, fish, squid, plankton, jellyfish, and carrion, as well as refuse.^{[4][6][13][14]} When eating fish, they will dive up to several feet deep to retrieve their prey.^[11]

Breeding

The Northern Fulmar starts breeding at between six and twelve years old. This species is monogamous and form long term bonding. They also return to the same nest site year after year.^[6] Breeding season starts in May,^[4]; however, the female has glands that store sperm to allow weeks to pass after copulation to the laying of the egg.^[6] Their nest will consist of a scrape on a grassy ledge or a saucer of vegetation on the ground with a lining of softer material. They nest in large colonies^{[4][6][11][13][14]} Recently, they have started nesting on rooftops and buildings.^[4] Both sexes are involved in the nest building process.^[6] A single white egg, 61 mm (2.40 in) in size,^[6] is incubated for a period of 50 to 54 days, by both sexes. The altricial chick is brooded for 2 weeks and fully fledges after 70 to 75 days. Again, both sexes are involved.^[4][6] During this period, the parents are nocturnal, and won't even be active on well-lit nights.^[6]

Northern Fulmars historically bred on St. Kilda, and spread into northern Scotland in the 19th century, and to the rest of the United Kingdom by 1930. For example, establishment of colonies at the Fowlsheugh Reserve in Scotland was one of the first areas to be developed for new permanent Fulmar breeding areas.

Social behavior

The mating ritual of this Fulmar consists of the female resting on a ledge and the male landing with his bill open and his head back. He commences to wave his head side to side and up and down while calling.^[6]

They make grunting and chuckling sounds while eating and guttural calls during the breeding season.^[13][14]

Conservation

Northern Fulmar light phase

The Northern Fulmar is estimated to have between 15,000,000 and 30,000,000 mature individuals, that occupy an occurrence range of 28,400,000 km² (11,000,000 sq mi) and their North American population is on the rise, hence it is listed with the IUCN as Least Concern.^[1] The range of these species increased greatly last century due to the availability of fish offal from commercial fleets, but may contract because of less food from this source and climatic change.^[4] The population increase has been especially notable in the British Isles.^[13] Recent studies in the North Sea have shown them especially susceptible to plastic discards.

Footnotes

References

• Aberdeen (2005) Fowlsheugh Ecology Lumina Press  
• BirdLife International (2004). "Fulmarus glacialis Northern Fulmar" (pdf). http://www.birdlife.org/datazone/species/BirdsInEuropeII/BiE2004Sp3872.pdf. Retrieved 17 Jul 2009.  
• BirdLife International (2009). "Northern Fulmar - BirdLife Species Factsheet". Data Zone. http://www.birdlife.org/datazone/species/index.html?action=SpcHTMDetails.asp&sid=3872&m=0#FurtherInfo. Retrieved 17 Jul 2009.  
• BirdLife International (2009(a)). "The BirdLife checklist of the birds of the world, with conservation status and taxonomic sources." (xls). http://www.birdlife.org/datazone/species/downloads/Checklist_v2_June09.zip. Retrieved 17 Jul 2009.  
• Brands, Sheila (14 Aug 2008). "Systema Naturae 2000 / Classification - Fulmarus glacialis -". Project: The Taxonomicon. http://www.taxonomy.nl/Main/Classification/51494.htm. Retrieved 18 Jul 2009.  
• Bull, John; Farrand Jr., John (June 1993) [1977]. "Open Ocean". in Opper, Jane. The Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Birds. The Audubon Society Field Guide Series. Birds (Eastern Region) (First ed.). New York, NY: Alfred A. Knopf. p. 314. ISBN 0 394 41405 5.  
• Clements, James (2007). The Clements Checklist of the Birds of the World (6 ed.). Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press. ISBN 978 0 8014 4501 9.  
• del Hoyo, Joseph, ed. "Handbook of the Birds of the World". 1. ISBN 84-87334-10-5.  
• Dunn, Jon L.; Alderfer, Jonathan (2006). "Shearwaters, Petrels (Family Procellariidae)". in Levitt, Barbara. National Geographic Field Guide to the Birds of North America (fifth ed.). Washington D.C.: National Geographic Society. p. 82. ISBN 0 7922 5314 3.  
• Ehrlich, Paul R.; Dobkin, David, S.; Wheye, Darryl (1988). The Birders Handbook (First ed.). New York, NY: Simon & Schuster. pp. 14, 29-31. ISBN 0 671 65989 8.  
• Floyd, Ted (2008). "Tubenoses: Albatrosses, Shearwaters & Petrels, and Storm-petrels". in Hess, Paul; Scott, George. Smithsonian Field Guide to the Birds of North America (First ed.). New York, NY: HarperCollins Publishers. p. 82. ISBN 978 0 06 112040 4.  
• Gotch, A. F. (1995) [1979]. "Albatrosses, Fulmars, Shearwaters, and Petrels". Latin Names Explained A Guide to the Scientific Classifications of Reptiles, Birds & Mammals. New York, NY: Facts on File. pp. 191–192. ISBN 0 8160 3377 3.  
• Harrison, P. (1983). Seabirds: an identification guide. Beckenham, U.K.: Croom Helm. ISBN 0-7470-1410-8.  
• Harrison, C.; Greensmith, A. (1993). "Non-passerines". in Bunting title= Birds of the World, E.. New York, NY: Dorling Kindersley. pp. 50. ISBN 1 56458 295 7.  
• Maynard, B. J. (2003). "Shearwaters, petrels, and fulmars (Procellariidae)". in Hutchins, Michael; Jackson, Jerome A.; Bock, Walter J. et al.. Grzimek's Animal Life Encyclopedia. 8 Birds I Tinamous and Ratites to Hoatzins. Joseph E. Trumpey, Chief Scientific Illustrator (2 ed.). Farmington Hills, MI: Gale Group. pp. 123–133. ISBN 0 7876 5784 0.  
• Peterson, Roger T. (1961) [1941]. "Shearwaters, Fulmars, Large Petrels: Procellariidae". A Field Guide to Western Birds. Peterson Field Guide. 2 (Second ed.). Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin. p. 9. ISBN 0 395 13692.  
• Sibley, David A. (2000). "Albatrosses, Petrels and Shearwaters Families: Diomedeidae, Procellariidae". The Sibley Guide to Birds (First ed.). New York, NY: Alfred A. Knopf. p. 32. ISBN 0 679 45122 6.  
• Udvarty, Miklos, D. F.; Farrand Jr., John (1994) [1977]. Locke, Edie. ed. National Audoban Society Field Guide to North American Birds. National Audubon Field Guide Series. Birds (Western Region) (First ed.). New York, NY: Alfred A. Knopf. pp. 358–359. ISBN 0 679 42851 8.  

External links

• Fulmar videos on the Internet Bird Collection

Gallery

Fulmar in flight, Reykjavik, Iceland	Northern Fulmar, breeding on Bear Island (Norway)	Northern Fulmar, in flight at Spitsbergen	Northern Fulmar, breeding on Bear Island
Chick