Fulmar prion
Kingdom
Phylum
Class
Genus
SPECIES
Pachyptila crassirostris

The fulmar prion (Pachyptila crassirostris ) is a species of seabird in the family Procellariidae, found in the southern oceans.

Animal name origin

Its common name "prion" (not to be confused with the misfolded proteins of the same name) means "saw", referring to the bill; "fulmar" means "foul-gull". The species was once assigned under the now-obsolete genus Fulmariprion (from "fulmar" and "prion").

Show More

The genus Pachyptila means "thick feathers".Its specific name crassirostris means "thick-beaked".

Show Less

Distribution

Geography

The fulmar prion is pelagic and stays over the southern oceans. When breeding, they will come ashore and nest on Heard Island, Auckland Islands, Chatham Islands, Bounty Islands, and Snares Island.

Diet and Nutrition

Like all prions, fulmar prions eat predominantly zooplankton, which they strain through their upper bill.

Mating Habits

Fulmar prions are annual breeders; they lay a single egg in their nest on islands with colonies. Both sexes will incubate the egg, which takes about 45 days, and raise the chick until it fledges at around 46 days.

Population

Conservation

Fulmar prions have a very large range. Their population – while lower than most other prions – is still substantial, at between 150,000 and 300,000 adult birds. Because of these numbers, the IUCN rates them as Least Concern.

References

1. Fulmar prion Wikipedia article - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fulmar_prion
2. Fulmar prion on The IUCN Red List site - https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/22698128/132627340

More Fascinating Animals to Learn About