March 7, 1806, at Fort Clatsop, Oregon.

A stocky gull-like seabird, seldom seen from shore. Two color phases are common: pale gray on back and wings, white elsewhere (most common in the East); and uniformly dark gray. Bill yellow. Easily distinguished from a gull by its flight: several fast wing beats followed by a stiff-winged glide.

Chuckling and grunting notes when feeding; various guttural calls during breeding season.

Open ocean; nests on cliffs and rocky islands, often in colonies of many thousands of birds.

Breeds in Aleutians and on coasts and islands of Alaska and Canadian Arctic. Winters at sea, in Pacific Ocean south to California and in Atlantic south to North Carolina.

The northern fulmar feeds on fish, squid, shrimp, and the refuse cast overboard by fishing boats.

Species information from enature.com