Description
The Northern Fulmar has a wingspan of 102–112 cm (40–44 in) and is 46 cm (18 in). Body weight can range from 450 to 1,000 g (0.99 to 2.2 lb). These species are grey and white with a pale yellow, thick, bill and bluish legs; 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.
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. They are long-lived, with a lifespan of 31 years not uncommon.
| Location | Breeding population | Winter population | Breeding trend |
|---|---|---|---|
| Faroe Islands | 600,000 pairs | 500,000–3,000,000 individuals | stable |
| Greenland | 120,000–200,000 pairs | 10,000–100,000 individuals | stable |
| France | 1,300–1,350 pairs | 100–500 individuals | increasing |
| Germany | 102 pairs | increasing | |
| Iceland | 1,000,000–2,000,000 pairs | 1,000,000—5,000,000 individuals | decreasing |
| Ireland | 33,000 pairs | increasing | |
| Denmark | 2 pair | 200–300 individuals | increasing |
| Norway | 7,000–8,000 pairs | increasing | |
| Svalbard | 500,000–1,000,000 pairs | increasing | |
| Russia (Europe) | 1,000–2,500 pairs | ||
| United Kingdom | 506,000 pairs | ||
| Canada, Russia (Asia), & USA | 2,600,000–4,200,000 pairs | ||
| Total (adult individuals) | 15,000,000–30,000,000 | increasing |
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