Fulmar's spitting oil at other Birds (1 Viewer)

[nozferatu]

Hello,

I was hoping someone here might know more about this.

Someone recently showed me some pictures of birds that had died after apparently being spat at when they'd got too close to a Fulmar.

Unfortunately I think that they'd had a long slow death because the oil had spread through the feathers,letting the cold and water in.

Does the oil come from their stomach,or is it the same oil from the gland that they use for preening,or do Fulmars have a purpose built storage place full of noxious oily stuff.?

I wonder what it was during the birds evolution that made this defence mechanism start happening,is it something that they copied from another bird.?

thankyou,

Noel.

 

[tystie]

Hi Noel

No expert on this subject but have had it over me a few times over the years,pretty sure it comes from their stomach (digestive juices mixed with partially digested food).
I dont know if its something they have learned as a defencive measure but even the very young still with down on them do it.

Lenny

 

[tom24]

Hope this helps..
The Proventriculus is between the crop and gizzard.In the Procellariformes, especially the Fulmar it has the function of producing c.200cc (7 fl. oz.) of oil.
It is a gland of the digestive system and provides additional storage space for those birds with big appetites.
The main function is to do with digestion though.

 

[Janus]

They also use it to deter other birds, auks and others from nesting too close.

I heard a story about a Herring Gull, which every few hours came and pestered a fulmar chick, which would spit at it. The Gull ate it... the oil, not the chick.

 

[RobF]

Didn't one of the released White-tailed Sea Eagle youngsters die from being oiled by a Fulmar?

Rob

 

[tom24]

Didn't one of the released White-tailed Sea Eagle youngsters die from being oiled by a Fulmar?

Rob

I'm not sure,Rob.

 

[nozferatu]

Hi,

Thanks for the info.

Its one of those niche subjects i think.

If i devote the rest of my days to researching the ins and outs of Fulmar spit,
will you all promise to buy the book?

regards,

Noel.

 

[Julian Bell]

I know of a pair of owls that were killed by fulmar spew. What a way to go.

I regularly found stranded fulmar on the beach and developed a technique for catching them without getting the foul smelling fluid on me - though I've seen others get "done". They have quite an impressive range they can "throw up" over.

Talk about projectile vomiting....

 

[nirofo]

Quite a lot of Peregrine eyries have disappeared from the sea cliff ledges in the north of Scotland and probably elsewhere since the Fulmar population took off. Most of these birds were displaced through not being able to access the traditional nest ledges, Fulmars occupy the ledges from the beginning of the year before the Peregrines arrive. When the Peregrines arrive to re-occupy their nest ledge the Fulmars spit oil all over them, in some cases the birds die because they are unable to hunt properly with their flight feathers so badly oiled! I used to know at least 5 eyries on the north coast sea cliffs, I can't think of one now, they are all occupied by Fulmars!

nirofo.

 

[Colin Penny]

Hi,

If i devote the rest of my days to researching the ins and outs of Fulmar spit,
will you all promise to buy the book?

regards,

Noel.

Probably make a nice change from Thierry Henry, Wayne Rooney, & Frank Lampard spit !!

 

[RobF]

Their not a patch on Little Britain's Mrs Blackamoor though!

Rob

 

[Allen S. Moore]

Didn't one of the released White-tailed Sea Eagle youngsters die from being oiled by a Fulmar?

Rob

At least one of the birds released onto Fair Isle fell foul of a spitting fulmar.

 

[KnockerNorton]

At least one of the birds released onto Fair Isle fell foul of a spitting fulmar.

And one of the Black Isle red kites that made it Iceland, only to get gobbed on and grounded, if I remember correctly.