Northern Fulmar

Now to talk about a sea bird that can be found throughout the UK coastline the Northern Fulmar Fulmarus glacialis. They are part of the petrel and shearwater group despite their gull like appearance and are closely related to the Albatross. There are estimated 500,000 breeding pairs that nest on our cliffs and 1.6-1.8 million that winter off our coastline. They are long-lived birds, with some individuals living past the age of 40. Fulmars are strong fliers using dynamic soaring to glide over the ocean waves. Their BTO code is a nice simple one F..

Fulmar in flight

They nest on cliffs and rocky coastlines but, spend most of their time at sea far from land. They typically start nesting May to early June. Fulmars are monogamous which means they remain in couples throughout the breeding period and typically return to the same nesting location each year. Some of these couples will last across multiple years/breeding seasons. 

Nesting pair of Fulmar on limestone cliffs

They are opportunistic feeders eating a variety of prey including fish, squid, plankton, carrion and have even been recorded scavenging off whale carcasses. They also have a unique defence mechanism which consists of being able to eject a foul-smelling oily substance from their stomachs to deter predators and other birds. The word "Fulmar" comes from Old Norse meaning "foul gull" referring to this defence mechanism. Fulmars are well adapted to the salty conditions of the sea, their nasal glands have evolved to remove the excess salt allowing them to drink sea water. 

Fulmar out foraging after leaving the nest

Fulmars are Amber listed on the Birds of Conservation Concern (BoCC) 5, like most sea birds their populations are at risk from overfishing and climate change. Fulmars also suffer from pollution and are often found dead after ingesting plastic and other debris. As well as pollution they are often accidently caught in fishing gear, therefore the need for no-fishing zones near major fulmar sites is crucial for the survival of this species. Remediation work on rocky coastlines and cliffs are inevitable with continued erosion and other climate change events. Mitigation for these birds to support this work primarily consists of avoiding nesting season as in the other months the birds are often out to sea. However, it is important that any remediation work to the coastlines maintains areas for the Fulmar. This consists of retreats large enough to support Fulmar nests which are about 7.5 inches across and 1.4 inches deep. 

Fulmar in flight