Head to head
Fulmar Prion vs Broad-billed Prion
Fulmar Prion
VS Broad-billed Prion
Both prions share the same general body plan, but their bills point to two very different feeding strategies.
| Fulmar Prion | Broad-billed Prion | |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific name | Pachyptila crassirostris | Pachyptila vittata |
| Bill shape | Stockier and thicker, with fewer lamellae | The broadest, most densely comb-lined bill |
| Feeding style | Catches individual prey items | Filters plankton in bulk, whale-like |
| Size | Not the largest prion | The largest prion species |
| Breeding range | Chatham, Bounty, and Snares Islands, plus Heard Island | New Zealand subantarctic islands, Tristan da Cunha, Gough |
| Conservation status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Population trend | Stable | Stable |
| Habitat | Ocean, coastal | Ocean, coastal |
Fulmar Prion vs Broad-billed Prion: common questions
Which one has a stockier bill?
The fulmar prion has the stockier, thicker bill, with fewer comb-like lamellae than the broad-billed prion, an adaptation suited to catching individual prey items instead.
Which one filters plankton in bulk?
The broad-billed prion feeds this way, using its unusually wide, comb-lined bill to strain plankton from seawater in a manner functionally similar to a filter-feeding baleen whale.
Which one is named for its resemblance to a different seabird?
The fulmar prion is named this way, its relatively heavy-set bill shape resembling that of fulmars, larger tube-nosed seabirds unrelated to the broad-billed prion.