Southern Fulmar
Fulmarus glacialoides
Silhouette: Edwin Price · PhyloPic
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Chordates)
- ClassAves (Birds)
- OrderProcellariiformes (Tubenoses)
- FamilyProcellariidae (Shearwaters and Petrels)
- GenusFulmarus (Fulmars)
- SpeciesFulmarus glacialoides (Southern Fulmar)
About the Southern Fulmar
The southern fulmar (Fulmarus glacialoides) is a seabird of the Southern Hemisphere. Along with the northern fulmar, F. glacialis, it belongs to the fulmar genus Fulmarus in the family Procellariidae, the true petrels. It is also known as the Antarctic fulmar or silver-grey fulmar.
It is largely pale grey above and white below with a distinctive white patch on the wing. It breeds on the coast of Antarctica and on surrounding islands, moving north in winter. It nests in colonies on cliffs, laying a single egg on a ledge or crevice. Its diet includes krill, fish and squid picked from the water's surface.
The southern fulmar formally described and illustrated in 1840 by the Scottish zoologist Andrew Smith in his major work Illustrations of the Zoology of South Africa. He placed it with all the other petrels in the genus Procellaria and coined the binomial name Procellaria glacialoides. The southern fulmar is now placed with the northern fulmar in the genus Fulmarus that was introduced in 1826 by the English naturalist James Stephens. The genus name comes from the Old Norse Fúlmár meaning "foul-mew" or "foul-gull" because of the birds' habit of ejecting a foul-smelling oil... Wikipedia →
Recent sightings of Southern Fulmar in Table Mountain National Park
LIVEiNaturalistClosest Relatives at Table Mountain National Park
White-chinned Petrel
Procellaria aequinoctialis
Sooty Shearwater
Puffinus griseus
Northern Giant Petrel
Macronectes halli
Southern Giant Petrel
Macronectes giganteus
Great Shearwater
Puffinus gravis
Manx Shearwater
Puffinus puffinus
Antarctic Prion
Pachyptila desolata
Soft-plumaged Petrel
Pterodroma mollis
Great-winged Petrel
Pterodroma macroptera
Scopoli's Shearwater
Calonectris diomedea
Cape Petrel
Daption capense
Blue Petrel
Halobaena caerulea
Global Distribution
Warmer areas are where this animal is recorded most often.
Parks Where Found
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tierra del Fuego National Park | 🇦🇷 Argentina | |
| 2 | Table Mountain National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 3 | Fiordland National Park | 🇳🇿 New Zealand | |
| 4 | Great Otway National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 5 | Garden Route National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa |
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a Southern Fulmar in Table Mountain National Park?
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Southern Fulmar sighting in Table Mountain National Park, based on 6 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Southern Fulmar in Table Mountain National Park?
June has the highest sighting rate for Southern Fulmar in Table Mountain National Park in our monthly data.