Northern Fulmar (Fulmarus glacialis)
The Fulmar also breeds much farther north than any other member of its family, from 50°N into the heart of the Arctic, as far as the polar pack-ice. The rich waters at these latitudes provide breeding Fulmars with plenty of squids, fish and plankton, which they seize from the surface of the water while swimming. The broad, heavy bill of the Fulmar is also well adapted to dealing with offal, and pulling flesh from carcasses, including those of whales, seals and walruses.
A taste for dead meat has enabled the Fulmar to prosper from some of man’s commercial activities, including whaling in former times, and now fishing. Large flocks of these grey-and-white birds are a common sight as they jostle over fish thrown out from trawlers, cackling like witches at a coven. Such sources of ready food have enabled the Fulmar’s range and population to expand greatly for the last 200 years.
Fulmars are long-lived birds, with an annual survival rate of about 90%, which is actually about standard for the family as a whole. There is a recent record of one Fulmar attaining the age of 50. With such a lifespan Fulmars can delay breeding until they are about six years old, but some individuals have held out until they were 12.