Fulmar prion
A southern ocean seabird that strains zooplankton through its bill.
Last updated
The fulmar prion (Pachyptila crassirostris) is a seabird belonging to the family Procellariidae. It is found in the southern oceans.
Scientific classification
- KingdomAnimalia
- PhylumChordata
- ClassAves
- OrderProcellariiformes
- FamilyProcellariidae
- GenusPachyptila
- SpeciesPachyptila crassirostris
Named by (Mathews, 1912)
Close relatives
Other species of Pachyptila with a Codexery entry.
- Broad-billed prion Pachyptila vittata
- Fairy prion Pachyptila turtur
Sources: Wikipedia taxobox: Fulmar prion (CC BY-SA 4.0) · order, family and genus agree with WoRMS AphiaID 225781 (CC BY 4.0)
Conservation status
Least Concern (LC)
- LC▲ this species
- NT
- VU
- EN
- CR
- EW
- EX
Source: IUCN Red List assessment · GBIF copy of the Red List category
Where the fulmar prion has been recorded
Each dot is a place where the species has been observed and reported (1,668 records, half-degree grid) — not a modelled range. 3 inland records left out (institution coordinates). 1 isolated far-off record not drawn.
Map: drawn by Codexery. Data: GBIF occurrence search (records CC0 / CC BY) · Natural Earth basemap (public domain) · place coordinates: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Quick Facts
- Genus
- Pachyptila
- Species
- crassirostris
- Subdivision
- P. crassirostris crassirostris (Mathews, 1912), P. crassirostris eatoni
Facts from the source article.
Taxonomy
The fulmar prion belongs to the genus Pachyptila, which together with the blue petrel constitutes the prions. These are placed within the family Procellariidae and the order Procellariiformes. As a procellariiform, it possesses nasal passages attached to the upper bill called naricorns, with nostrils located on top of the upper bill. Its bill is divided into between seven and nine horny plates.
The bird produces stomach oil composed of wax esters and triglycerides, stored in the proventriculus, used against predators and as a food source for chicks and adults during long flights. A salt gland above the nasal passage helps desalinate the body by excreting concentrated brine from the nostrils. Two subspecies are recognised: Pachyptila crassirostris crassirostris, breeding on the Snares Islands, Chatham Islands, and Bounty Islands; and Pachyptila crassirostris eatoni, breeding on Heard Island and the Auckland Islands.
Did You Know?
- The common name 'prion' means 'saw', referring to the bill; 'fulmar' means 'foul-gull'.
- The species was once assigned under the now-obsolete genus Fulmariprion.
- The genus name Pachyptila means 'thick feathers' and the specific name crassirostris means 'thick-beaked'.
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Sources
Compiled from Wikipedia and the sources listed below. Text from Wikipedia is available under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is adapted from it.
- Wikipedia: Fulmar prion (CC BY-SA 4.0).
- Classification: the source article's taxobox; order, family and genus checked against WoRMS, the World Register of Marine Species (CC BY 4.0).
- Conservation status: IUCN Red List assessment.
- Occurrence records: GBIF (CC0 / CC BY). Basemap: Natural Earth (public domain).
- Word definitions: the , each quoted from its Wikipedia article.
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