- Fulmarus glacialis
Identification
Length 45-51cm. Wingspan 102-112cm.
Pale morph: back and rump silvery-grey, upperwings pale grey with darker primaries and carpal area and white bases to primaries forming a pale wing-patch, tail white. Head white with dark lores and underparts white. Underwing white with greyish primary tips and narrow trailing edge. Iris dark brown, short and heavy bill yellowish with bluish-grey base, legs greenish to flesh.
Dark morph: largely smoky-grey with darker carpal area and promaries but lacks pale patch, plumage wears to brownish. A wide range of intermediates between these two forms occurs.
Distribution
In the North Pacific breeds on the coasts of eastern Siberia, Sakhalin, the Kurile and Commander Islands, Wrangel, Pribilof and St. Lawrence Islands and the Alaskan Peninsula. In North Atlantic breeds Baffin Island and Greenland, on Svalbard, Bear Island, and Franz Josef Land.
Taxonomy
Subspecies: The North Pacific race is rodgersii with the slenderest bill and the darkest dark morph and palest pale morph birds, nominate race breeds in the high Arctic of the Atlantic and auduboni further south.
Habitat
Rocky islands and mainland cliffs. Pelagic when not breeding. Often attracted to fishing boats.
Behaviour
Breeds mid-May to late September on a bare rock ledge or in a slight depression in softer substrate. Single dull white egg incubated by both sexes for 55-57 days. Young fed by both parents, initially daily but later at longer intervals, leaves nest at 46-51 days.
Diet includes squid and fish, also offal from fishing and whaling vessels.
Voice is a harsh cackling when quarrelling for food.
<flashmp3>Fulmarus glacialis (song).mp3</flashmp3>
Listen in an external program
