Flying Fulmars

I think of fulmars as being mid-engined birds with relatively short wings. They are deceptive, however, as their wings can appear quite long when seen from a different angle.

I’m left wondering whether there is a great difference in wing length or whether it’s simply a matter of perspective. Perhaps the juveniles have relatively shorter wings?

I check the published science and it appears that male Northern Fulmars are 9.2% larger in most body measurements. Males also have a larger variation in their size than the smaller females.

I won’t look at their wings in the same way again.