Wildlife

Seabirds of Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge

Northern Fulmars (Fulmarus glacialis)

In Alaska, the Northern Fulmar is the only breeding representative of a large family of tube-nosed birds largely confined to the southern hemisphere.

RANGE

Almost all fulmars in Alaska nest in only four locations: St. Matthew and the Pribilof Islands in the Bering Sea; Chugulak Islands in the Aleutians; and the Semedi Islands off the Alaska Peninsula.

PLUMAGE

Color phases vary from a dark bluish-gray to a predominantly white, gull-like plumage. In the North Pacific, the lighter phase birds predominate at colonies in the Bering Sea and the darker phase birds at more southerly colonies.

NESTING

Fulmars usually nest on steep, soil-covered slopes near the tops of cliffs. They will use wide cliff ledges if threatened by foxes. They often nest in association with large colonies of other cliff-nesting birds such as murres and kittiwakes.

EGG

Single egg each year.

FEEDING RANGE

Fulmars forage farther from their nesting island than most seabirds during the breeding season. They fly offshore over the continental shelf break and adjacent ocean covering distances of up to 60 miles (100 km).

FOOD

Prey are taken from the surface or just beneath it; these birds do not dive for prey. They eat fish, squid, zooplankton, and jellyfish. Large flocks gather behind fishing and processing boats to scavenge any offal dumped. In the Bering Sea fulmars depend heavily on walleye pollock, a commercially important fish.

LIFE

Among Alaskan seabirds, fulmars are the extreme example of a general evolutionary trend in pelagic birds toward long life and a low reproductive rate. It is probable that some individuals of this species live 50 years or longer.

Last updated:September 8, 2008