- Lifespan
- 30–50 years in the wild, making them one of the longest-lived seabirds
- Size & Weight
- 47–56 cm, wingspan 100–112 cm; 700–900 g
- Habitat
- Open ocean and coastal cliffs, nesting on rocky outcrops and sea cliffs with minimal vegetation.
- UK Distribution
- Widespread around UK coasts, particularly abundant in northern Scotland, the Shetland and Orkney Islands, and the Hebrides; resident year-round with numbers boosted by winter visitors from the Arctic.
- Diet
- Fish, squid, crustaceans, and marine offal; often follows fishing vessels to scavenge discards.
- Prey
- Small fish (particularly capelin and sand eels), cephalopods, and zooplankton
- Predators
- Great black-backed gulls, occasionally white-tailed eagles; chicks vulnerable to skuas
- Mating Season
- April to August
- Breeding
- Single egg laid in May; incubation period 47–53 days; fledging at 46–51 days; one brood per year
- Behaviour
- Highly social, breeding in large colonies and spending winters at sea in flocks. Fulmars are excellent gliders, using dynamic soaring to minimise energy expenditure. They are renowned for their aggressive defence of nesting sites and the ability to project a foul-smelling stomach oil at intruders.