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Northern Fulmar (Fulmarus glacialis) Alternate name(s): "Fulmar", "Arctic Fulmar" German name(s): "Eissturmvogel" Size: 43-52 cm; wing span 1.0-1.2 m Body mass: 0.45-1.0 kg Wing loading [g/cm2]: 0.65-0.85

Europe: Family Group 3 Family Group 3 Table Black-browed Albatross Northern Fulmar Great Shearwater Cory's Shearwater Scopoli's Shearwater Sooty Shearwater Manx Shearwater Balearic Shearwater Zino's Petrel Wilson's Storm-Petrel European Storm-Petrel Thumbnails page Family group table Index of bird names European birds home page

Similar species

Description     Classification     Distribution     Sightings     Photos     Breeding     Nest     Eggs     Behaviour     Food     Call/s

Physical description Click here for a physical description Northern Fulmars are medium-sized seabirds. Their colours can vary, although there are no distinctly different morphologies, from near-white body with light-grey upperparts (pale birds) to light- to mid-grey all over (dark birds). Pale Northern Fulmars have an almost all-white front, head, neck (with some pale grey on the sides) and large parts of the underwings. The upperwings, back and mantle are light-grey. The outer leading edge and the trailing edge of the underwing is dark. Dark Northern Fulmars are mid-grey all over their body and their wings. All morphologies have darker tips than the rest of the wings, with a diffuse pale patch on the upperside of the primaries. The irises are dark and the bill is rather short and massive, given more volume by their tube nose. The base of the bill is grey, while the tip is yellow. In pale birds the tube is light-grey, in dark birds it is near-black. Legs and feet are grey.

Taxonomy, classification See Northern Fulmar at Wikipedia .

Range, habitat, finding this species Click here for information on habitat and range The overall distribution of this species can be assessed, and specific locations where birds have been spotted can be found, based on individual sighting reports submitted by birdwatchers to ebird.org . The global distribution of the Northern Fulmar is available HERE . There are 3 races of Northern Fulmars, which are a strongly migratory species. The two races "glacialis" and "auduboni" are present in the North Atlantic, while race "rodgersii" in found in the North Pacific. We cannot distinguish between the two North-Atlantic races "glacialis" and "auduboni" and will group them into one conglomerate here. In Europe, Northern Fulmars, races "glacialis/auduboni", breed in the high Arctic regions of the Atlantic and the low Arctic and boreal regions of the Atlantic, respectively. They spend basically the entire non-breeding season at sea on the northern Atlantic. Northern Fulmars are found mostly on the open seas, but also in coastal waters and, during their breeding season, on coastlines and offshore islands, especially those with steep cliffs.

Sightings Click here for sighting information Race "glacialis/auduboni" M. Eaton reports spotting Northern Fulmars, races "glacialis/auduboni", at Land's End, Cornwall, England, UK, in September 2019. Race "auduboni" C. Pears reports finding Northern Fulmars, race "auduboni", in Iceland in May 2015, where they were nesting at the time. Others were found at Bempton Cliffs, Yorkshire, England, UK, in September 2025. I. Chisnall also found Northern Fulmars, race "auduboni", at Bempton Cliffs, Yorkshire, England, UK, in the time frame July/August 2021. At that time they were breeding on cliff ledges. They were also found during a pelagic trip off the Isles of Scilly, Cornwall, England, in August 2023.

Photos

Race "glacialis/auduboni"

ADULT

Sex unknown

Northern Fulmar on its nest on a volcanic rock ledge (photo courtesy of C. Pears)
[Iceland, May 2015]

Race "auduboni"

ADULT

Sex unknown

Close-up frontal view of a Northern Fulmar (photo courtesy of I. Chisnall)
[Off the Isles of Scilly, Cornwall, England, August 2023]

Frontal view of Northern Fulmar perched on a rock (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Land's End, Cornwall, England, UK, September 2019]

Near-frontal view of a Northern Fulmar (photo courtesy of I. Chisnall)
[Off the Isles of Scilly, Cornwall, England, August 2023]

Close-up near-lateral portrait of a Northern Fulmar (photo courtesy of I. Chisnall)
[Off the Isles of Scilly, Cornwall, England, August 2023]

Close-up near-lateral view of a Northern Fulmar (photo courtesy of I. Chisnall)
[Off the Isles of Scilly, Cornwall, England, August 2023]

Close-up lateral view of a Northern Fulmar (photo courtesy of I. Chisnall)
[Off the Isles of Scilly, Cornwall, England, August 2023]

Close-up lateral view of a Northern Fulmar (photo courtesy of I. Chisnall)
[Off the Isles of Scilly, Cornwall, England, August 2023]

Lateral view of a Northern Fulmar spreading its wings (photo courtesy of I. Chisnall)
[Off the Isles of Scilly, Cornwall, England, August 2023]

Lateral view of Northern Fulmar (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Land's End, Cornwall, England, UK, September 2019]

Near-frontal view of a Northern Fulmar in flight (photo courtesy of I. Chisnall)
[Off the Isles of Scilly, Cornwall, England, August 2023]

Lateral view from above onto a Northern Fulmar in flight (photo courtesy of C. Pears)
[Bempton Cliffs, Yorkshire, England, UK, September 2025]

Near-dorsal view of Northern Fulmar in flight (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Land's End, Cornwall, England, UK, September 2019]

Near-dorsal view of Northern Fulmar in flight (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Land's End, Cornwall, England, UK, September 2019]

Close-up dorsal view of a Northern Fulmar in hovering flight (photo courtesy of I. Chisnall)
[Off the Isles of Scilly, Cornwall, England, August 2023]

IMMATURE/JUVENILE

Near-frontal view from above of a juvenile Northern Fulmar in flight (photo courtesy of I. Chisnall)
[Bempton Cliffs, Yorkshire, England, UK, August 2021]

Close-up dorsal view of a fledgling Northern Fulmar hovering in an updraught at the top edge of a cliff; note the short flight feathers and the last remaining downy feathers on the leading edges of the wings (photo courtesy of I. Chisnall)
[Bempton Cliffs, Yorkshire, England, UK, August 2021]

Close-up dorsal view of a fledgling Northern Fulmar hovering in an updraught at the top edge of a cliff
(photo courtesy of I. Chisnall)
[Bempton Cliffs, Yorkshire, England, UK, August 2021]

Close-up dorsal view of two fledgling Northern Fulmars hovering in an updraught at the top edge of a cliff
(photo courtesy of I. Chisnall)
[Bempton Cliffs, Yorkshire, England, UK, August 2021]

Breeding information

Breeding season: May - Sep

Eggs: 1

Incubation period: 50 - 54 days

Fledging age: 70 - 75 days

Northern Fulmars are monogamous and start breeding at 6-12 years of age. Note that, as opposed to the habits of other related species, even at the nest sites they are diurnal birds.

Nest building: Male & female

Incubation: Female & male

Dependent care: Female & male

Nest

Type: Scrape/basket

Material: Grass

Height above ground: N/A

Northern Fulmars nest on the ground, but nests, usually placed on rock ledges, are elevated compared to the surrounding landscape. They return to the same nest site every year.

Distant view of a Northern Fulmar at its nest with, as usual, a single chick (photo courtesy of I. Chisnall)
[Bempton Cliffs, Yorkshire, England, UK, July 2021]

Northern Fulmar on its nest on a volcanic rock ledge (photo courtesy of C. Pears)
[Iceland, May 2015]

Overview of a Northern Fulmar colony; the birds in the vertical precipice are roosting, while those on the grassy top of the promontory are nesting (photo courtesy of C. Pears)
[Iceland, May 2015]

Eggs

Size: 74 x 51 mm

Colour: White

Shape: Long elliptical

Behaviour

Social behaviour: Communal

Mobility: Roaming

Elementary unit: Flock

Northern Fulmars breed in loose colonies along the European west coast, from Normandy northward, but otherwise spend the rest of their lives out at sea.

Northern Fulmars roosting colonially (photo courtesy of C. Pears)
[Iceland, May 2015]

Overview of a Northern Fulmar roost in a cliff (photo courtesy of C. Pears)
[Iceland, May 2015]

These pages are largely based on our own observations and those of our contributors. The structure of these bird pages is explained HERE. For more salient facts on any bird species please refer to a field guide.

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