Fulmar in Flight

St Andrews

Fulmars may look superficially like gulls, but they are not closely related. They are in fact part of a group of birds known as ‘tubenoses’, or ‘petrels’, which includes both giant albatrosses and tiny storm petrels. They are almost gull-like, grey and white seabirds that are related to the albatrosses. They fly low over the sea on stiff wings, with shallow wingbeats. So, while they share some characteristics with gulls, they are a distinct group of birds.