Birds
Fulmar Prion
Pachyptila crassirostris · also called thick-billed prion
Carrying a stockier, thicker bill than most of its relatives, a fulmar prion relies more on catching individual prey than the bulk filter-feeding typical of other prions, breeding only on a small handful of remote subantarctic islands.
Overview
The fulmar prion, Pachyptila crassirostris, is a Least Concern seabird native to ocean and coastal habitat across a small number of scattered subantarctic islands in the South Pacific and Indian Ocean sectors. Its unusually heavy-set bill, limited breeding range, and prey-catching rather than filter-feeding style make it one of the more physically distinctive prion species found anywhere in the Southern Ocean.
A different bill for a different feeding style
While most prions rely on fine, comb-like bill structures to filter huge volumes of seawater, the fulmar prion has instead evolved a stockier bill built more for catching individual prey items, a feeding strategy that sets it apart from most of its close relatives.
Status
Least Concern, remaining generally stable across its limited number of breeding islands, though colonies remain vulnerable wherever introduced predators gain access.
Fulmar Prion: common questions
Why is the fulmar prion's bill different from other prions?
This species has a notably stockier, thicker bill with fewer comb-like lamellae than most other prion species, an adaptation suited to catching individual prey rather than filtering large volumes of seawater.
Why is it called the fulmar prion?
This species is named for its resemblance to fulmars, larger tube-nosed seabirds, on account of its relatively heavy-set bill shape compared with other, more delicate-billed prion species.
Where does the fulmar prion breed?
This species breeds only on a small number of remote subantarctic islands, including the Chatham Islands, Bounty Islands, Snares Islands, and Heard Island, rather than across a wide range.
What threatens the fulmar prion?
This species can suffer severe losses at colonies where introduced rats or cats gain access, since it has little natural defence against mammalian predators introduced to its breeding islands.