A true bird of the open seas, Fulmars only show an interest in Jersey's steep and precarious sea-cliffs when breeding is about to take place.
This occurs during the month of May when a single white egg is laid and looked after by both its parents for a period of around fifty days - one of the longest incubations of all seabirds.
At first sight, Fulmars can quite easily be mistaken for an ordinary seagull although its compact body and gliding flight on still grey wings quickly show that the bird is rather different. It certainly has an unusual bill which, like its close relative the Albatross, has peculiar tubular nostrils.
The contact noise that it makes is very strange as well - a deep guttural sound that is often heard coming from their communal nesting sites.
The name Fulmar comes from the Norse 'foul mouth' and if you get too close to the birds nesting site you're likely to find out why! If you pose a threat then the entire fishy contents of its stomach is likely to be thrown all over you - foul mouth - fulmar!
This is purely the bird's defensive mechanism which is sometimes used if other species of seabird get a little too close to the nest for comfort.
Fulmars are great scavengers and, throughout the long winter months, they often follow the fishing trawlers feeding on their discarded catches.
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