Quick field summary
The Fulmar is a distinctive seabird known for its stiff-winged gliding flight and tube-nosed bill, commonly seen soaring over cliffs and rough seas around the UK coast.
How to identify Fulmar
Chunky seabird with thick neck, pale grey upperparts and white underparts. Distinct tube-shaped nostrils on bill, yellow to pinkish with a dark tip. Stiff, straight wings with dark wing tips and a moderately forked tail.
- Tube-shaped nostrils on bill
- Stiff-winged gliding flight
- Pale grey upperparts
- White underparts
- Dark wing tips
Habitat, range and timing
Common off rocky coasts and cliffs of northern and western Scotland, Shetland, Orkney, and parts of Wales and Cornwall.
Resident around northern and western UK coasts, especially Scotland and islands, numbers swell during winter along coasts of England and Wales.
- Highlands and Islands
- Shetland
- Orkney
- Cornwall
- Wales
Song, movement and nesting
Fulmar call is a harsh, guttural croak often given during flight or at breeding colonies.
Nests in crevices or ledges on sea cliffs, laying a single white egg in late spring; both parents incubate and feed the chick.
Photos and plumage details
Similar birds
Use shape, plumage and habitat together to separate close matches in the field.
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Common questions
What does a Fulmar eat?
Primarily fish and discarded marine scraps.
Where do Fulmars nest?
On rocky sea cliffs in colonies.
How can I distinguish a Fulmar from a gull?
Fulmars have tube-shaped nostrils and a stiffer flight.
Are Fulmars migratory?
Mostly resident but some disperse widely in winter.
What is the Fulmar's conservation status?
Currently listed as Least Concern.