Fulmar, Arctic fulmar
The northern fulmar (Fulmarus glacialis), fulmar, or Arctic fulmar is a highly abundant seabird found primarily in subarctic regions of the North Atlantic and North Pacific oceans. There has been one confirmed sighting in the Southern Hemisphere, with a single bird seen south of New Zealand. Fulmars come in one of two color morphs: a light one, with white head and body and gray wings and tail, and a dark one, which is uniformly gray. Though similar in appearance to gulls, fulmars are in fact members of the family Procellariidae, which include petrels and shearwaters.
The northern fulmar and its sister species, the southern fulmar (Fulmarus glacialoides), are the extant members of the genus Fulmarus. The fulmars are in turn a member of the order Procellariiformes, and they all share certain identifying features. First, they have nasal passages that attach to the upper bill called naricorns; however, nostrils on albatrosses are on the sides of the bill, as opposed to the rest of the order, including fulmars, which have nostrils on top of the upper bill. The bills of Procellariiformes are also unique in that they are split into between seven and nine 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 can be sprayed out of their mouths as a defense against predators from a very early age, and as an energy rich food source for chicks and for the adults during their long flights. It will mat the plumage of avian predators, and can lead to their death. Finally, they also have a salt gland that is situated above the nasal passage that helps desalinate their bodies, due to the high amount of ocean water that they imbibe. This gland excretes a high saline solution from their nose.
The northern fulmar was first described as Fulmarus glacialis by Carl Linnaeus in 1761, based on a specimen from within the Arctic Circle, on Spitsbergen. The Mallemuk Mountain in Northeastern Greenland is named after the northern fulmar (Danish: Mallemuk).
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DiurnalDiurnal animals are active during the daytime, with a period of sleeping or other inactivity at night. The timing of activity by an animal depends ...
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NocturnalNocturnality is an animal behavior characterized by being active during the night and sleeping during the day. The common adjective is "nocturnal",...
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CarnivoreA carnivore meaning 'meat eater' is an organism that derives its energy and nutrient requirements from a diet consisting mainly or exclusively of a...
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PiscivoresA piscivore is a carnivorous animal that eats primarily fish. Piscivorous is equivalent to the Greek-derived word ichthyophagous. Fish were the die...
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ScavengerScavengers are animals that consume dead organisms that have died from causes other than predation or have been killed by other predators. While sc...
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MolluscivoreA molluscivore is a carnivorous animal that specializes in feeding on molluscs such as gastropods, bivalves, brachiopods, and cephalopods. Known mo...
A planktivore is an aquatic organism that feeds on planktonic food, including zooplankton and phytoplankton. Phytoplankton are usually photosynthet...
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SemiaquaticSemiaquatic animals are those that are primarily or partly terrestrial but that spend a large amount of time swimming or otherwise occupied in wate...
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SeabirdSeabirds (also known as marine birds) are birds that are adapted to life within the marine environment. While seabirds vary greatly in lifestyle, b...
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Soaring birdsSoaring birds can maintain flight without wing flapping, using rising air currents. Many gliding birds are able to "lock" their extended wings by m...
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AltricialAltricial animals are those species whose newly hatched or born young are relatively immobile. They lack hair or down, are not able to obtain food ...
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Pelagic birdsPelagic birds live on open seas and oceans rather than inland or around more restricted waters such as rivers and lakes. They feed on planktonic cr...
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NatatorialNatatorial animals are those adapted for swimming. Some fish use their pectoral fins as the primary means of locomotion, sometimes termed labriform...
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NomadicNomadic animals regularly move to and from the same areas within a well-defined range. Most animals travel in groups in search of better territorie...
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TerrestrialTerrestrial animals are animals that live predominantly or entirely on land (e.g., cats, ants, snails), as compared with aquatic animals, which liv...
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CongregatoryCongregatory animals tend to gather in large numbers in specific areas as breeding colonies, for feeding, or for resting.
Oviparous animals are female animals that lay their eggs, with little or no other embryonic development within the mother. This is the reproductive...
Precocial species are those in which the young are relatively mature and mobile from the moment of birth or hatching. Precocial species are normall...
Soaring birds can maintain flight without wing flapping, using rising air currents. Many gliding birds are able to "lock" their extended wings by m...
Seabirds (also known as marine birds) are birds that are adapted to life within the marine environment. While seabirds vary greatly in lifestyle, b...
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MonogamyMonogamy is a form of relationship in which both the male and the female has only one partner. This pair may cohabitate in an area or territory for...
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FlockingFlocking birds are those that tend to gather to forage or travel collectively. Avian flocks are typically associated with migration. Flocking also ...
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ColonialColonial animals live in large aggregations composed of two or more conspecific individuals in close association with or connected to, one another....
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MigratingAnimal migration is the relatively long-distance movement of individual animals, usually on a seasonal basis. It is the most common form of migrati...
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starts withNorthern fulmars are long-lived seabirds of the North Atlantic and North Pacific oceans. Fulmars come in one of two color morphs: a light one, with white head and body and gray wings and tail, and a dark one which is uniformly gray. Though similar in appearance to gulls, fulmars are in fact members of the family, which include petrels and shearwaters.
Northern fulmars are found primarily in subarctic regions of the North Atlantic and North Pacific oceans. They breed in the Arctic regions of the North Atlantic and in the eastern Siberia and the Alaskan Peninsula. Northern populations usually migrate south when the sea is frozen. Northern fulmars spend most of their life in the open ocean. They breed on rocky cliffs and islands and sometimes may nest on houses along the sea coast.
Northern fulmars are strong fliers and spend much time in the air. They forage by day and night and will dive up to several feet deep to retrieve their prey. They also take prey from the surface while swimming. Northern fulmars are gregarious birds; they live in flocks and always gather in large numbers at abundant food sources. These birds are generally silent when at sea but are very noisy on nesting grounds. They make grunting and chuckling sounds while eating and guttural calls during the breeding season.
Northern fulmars are carnivores (piscivores) and scavengers. They feed on shrimp, fish, squid, plankton, jellyfish, but also carrion, and refuse.
Northern fulmars are monogamous and form long term pair bonds that return to the same nest sites year after year. The breeding season usually starts in May and during this time birds perform the mating ritual which 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. Northern fulmars nest in large colonies. Their nest is a scrape on a grassy ledge or a saucer of vegetation on the ground, lined with softer material. They may also nest on rooftops and buildings. Both the male and the female are involved in the nest building process. The female then lays a single white egg, which is incubated for a period of 50 to 54 days, by both parents. The blind and helpless chick is brooded by parents for 2 weeks and fully fledges after 70 to 75 days. Young Northern fulmars start breeding when they are 6 to 12 years old.
Northern fulmars are not threatened globally. However, these birds are often caught in gill-net fisheries and they also suffer from oil spills and plastic ingestion.
According to the IUCN Red List, the total population size of the Northern fulmar is around 7,000,000 pairs or 20,000,000 individuals. In Europe, the breeding population consists of 3,380,000-3,500,000 pairs, which equates to 6,760,000-7,000,000 mature individuals. In Russia, there are around 100,000-1 million breeding pairs and around 10,000 individuals on migration. Overall, currently, Northern fulmars are classified as Least Concern (LC) on the IUCN Red List and their numbers today are increasing.
Due to their feeding habits, Northern fulmars play an important role in their ecosystem as predators and also scavengers in arctic and temperate waters.
Social animals are those animals that interact highly with other animals, usually of their own species (conspecifics), to the point of having a rec...