Southern Fulmar

Found breeding on the Antarctic continent itself as well as on surrounding islands, the Southern Fulmar, also known as the Antarctic Fulmar, is easily identified by its pale silver-grey upperparts, white underside, and a distinctive white patch on the wing. It is a large, robust petrel with a wingspan of up to 1.2 metres, well suited to graceful, long-distance gliding on stiff wings. Southern Fulmars are a common sight on expedition voyages, often seen trailing ships in the Southern Ocean alongside Cape petrels.

Southern Fulmars feed primarily on krill and other crustaceans, along with small fish and squid, picking prey from the surface of the water rather than diving. They are gregarious feeders, often gathering in large flocks alongside other seabirds such as Cape petrels when a rich source of food, like a school of krill, is found. Opportunistic by nature, they will readily follow trawlers, whaling ships, and expedition vessels for an easy meal. In flight, they alternate between long glides and shallow wingbeats, moving silently through the air, though they become notably loud and vocal once back at their breeding colonies.

Southern Fulmars nest in colonies on ice-free rocky cliffs and ledges along the Antarctic coast and on nearby islands, including the South Shetland, South Orkney, and South Sandwich Islands. Adults return to their colonies in October, with a single egg laid on a bare ledge or shallow scrape in November or December. Both parents share incubation duties over roughly 55 to 57 days, and chicks fledge around 52 days after hatching, typically by March or April. Breeding success tends to improve with age, as more experienced pairs raise chicks more successfully than younger, first-time breeders.