Antarctic Fulmar

Antarctic fulmar is a pale, stiff-winged petrel of Antarctic waters that reaches New Zealand only as a migrant. It has a white head and underparts, pearly-grey back, dark upperwing pattern and a short pink bill with dark tip. Cape petrel is smaller and boldly chequered black and white above.

It breeds on Antarctic coastal cliffs and islands and occasionally reaches New Zealand’s subantarctic and southern waters outside the breeding season. Flocks take krill, fish and squid from the surface and may gather around ships or feeding whales.

Antarctic fulmar is classed as a Migrant in the NZ Threat Classification and is only a rare visitor to New Zealand waters. It is rare near mainland New Zealand and is most likely on voyages south of the subantarctic islands toward Antarctica.