Northern Fulmar - Fulmarus glacialis

Fulmar (Fulmarus glacialis) are a tubenosed seabird similarly resembling gulls, but with a stocky and compact body and thick neck. Plumage consists of a white body, diffuse pale grey wings, and a distinctive tubenose (fig. 1) (Svensson et al, 2020).
Fulmar breed mostly on cliff ledges, but have been known to nest on slopes, at the base of stone walls, and in sand dunes. Their diet mostly consists of sandeels, but will also forage and scavenge on crustaceans, fish offal and other fishery discards (Burrell et al, 2023; Harris et al, 2024). Fulmar have an interesting predator defence, spitting an oily gastric juice at nest intruders or other predators. They are a long-lived species, typically living up to around 44 years old and breeding at 9 years old (Svensson et al 2020; Harris et al, 2024).

Population & Distribution:
Around 5% of the global fulmar breeding population is hosted by Britain and Ireland, alongside around 11% of the subspecies glacialis population. Approximately 88% of the Britain and Ireland population can be found in Scotland (fig. 2) (Burnell et al, 2023; Harris et al, 2024).

Fulmar are a common resident to the east coast. Breeding has been recorded at various sites including Buchan Ness to Collieston, Sands of Forvie, Fowlsheugh, Newtonhill, Muchalls, and St Cyrus (fig. 3 & 4). The species has been recorded at other locations along the coast including  Fraserburgh, Peterhead, Bullers of Buchan, and Girdleness (North East Scotland Bird Reports).

Conservation Status:
Fulmar are an Amber listed species (Stanbury et al, 2024). During the latest seabird census Seabird Counts 2015-21 it was found that the fulmar population in Scotland had declined by 37% since the previous census Seabird 2000 in 1998-2002 (Burnell et al, 2023).

Factors Impacting Fulmar:
As fulmar are so long-lived, taking 9 years to breeding maturity and then only producing one egg per season, they are particularly vulnerable to pressures on their productivity and adult survival.

Fulmar are considered to be vulnerable to climate change. For example, rising sea temperatures and extreme weather events are impacting upon prey availbility and distributions as well as the suitability of nesting sites (Burthe et al, 2014).

Fulmar are also impacted by plastic pollution, with a recent study finding 92% of northern fulmar sampled has ingested at least one piece of plastic. On average they had ingested 21 items (0.26g) (van Franeker et al, 2021).

Offshore static nets and longline fisheries have recorded fulmar bycatch, and the estimates for total fulmar bycatch by UK vessels could be in their thousands (Northridge et al, 2020).

Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) has caused low mortality in fulmar as of November 2022 (Tremlett et al, 2024).

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