Northern Fulmar Similar Species Comparison
Main SpeciesNorthern Fulmar
Light morph
Stocky gull-like seabird with a thick neck and a bull-headed appearance. Flies like a tank with stiff wingbeats. Varies in color from dark gray to nearly white. Note gray rump and tail on light morph birds.
© Stephen Mirick / Macaulay LibraryMassachusetts, February 23, 2019Dark morph
Stocky gull-like seabird that flies on outstretched stiff wings. This bird is darker gray than other light morph birds in the Atlantic.
© Dorian Anderson / Macaulay LibraryCalifornia, October 24, 2020Light morph
Like many seabird species of the high arctic, Northern Fulmars are highly opportunistic feeders. They often consume discarded fish from commercial fishing vessels, squid, crustaceans, and carrion.
© Benjamin Clock / Macaulay LibraryAlaska, June 10, 2012Not all videos have sound
Dark morph
Stocky gull-like seabird with a thick neck, bull-headed appearance, and a pale stubby bill. Varies in color from dark gray to nearly white.
© Matt Brady / Macaulay LibraryCalifornia, October 19, 2010Light morph
This light morph bird is white overall with gray wings and darker gray wingtips. Often rests on the water with other Northern Fulmars.
© Evan Lipton / Macaulay LibraryMassachusetts, November 10, 2015Light morph
Breeds on steep sea cliffs. Spends the winters at sea from ice-covered northern waters to temperate zones.
© Brian Sullivan / Macaulay LibraryNewfoundland and Labrador, May 30, 2010Similar SpeciesAmerican Herring Gull
Breeding adult
American Herring Gulls and other gull species have broader wings and looser, slower wingbeats than Northern Fulmars. Adult American Herring Gulls have dark wingtips which light-morph fulmars lack. Gulls also lack the fulmar's tubenose.
© Jeremiah Trimble / Macaulay LibraryMaine, May 29, 2017Similar SpeciesAmerican Herring Gull
Juvenile
American Herring Gulls and other gull species have broader wings and looser, slower wingbeats than Northern Fulmars. Juvenile American Herring Gulls have more contrasting plumage, with dark tail and wingtips, than dark morph fulmars.
© Louis Bevier / Macaulay LibraryMaine, August 02, 2017Similar SpeciesPink-footed Shearwater
Adult/immature
Pink-footed Shearwaters are more slender than Northern Fulmars with a longer, thinner bill. They have a dark head and pale throat, whereas light-morph fulmars have all-white heads and dark-morph fulmars have all dark-head and underparts.
© Brian Sullivan / Macaulay LibraryEl Callao, July 12, 2017Similar SpeciesSooty Shearwater
Adult/immature
Sooty Shearwaters are more slender with a longer, thinner, darker bill than Northern Fulmars.
© Brian Sullivan / Macaulay LibraryCalifornia, May 31, 2009Rotate Your Device to Better Compare
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Species in This Family
Shearwaters and Petrels(Order: Procellariiformes, Family: Procellariidae)
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