Black-legged Kittiwake

Rissa tridactylaOrder: CHARADRIIFORMES Family: Skuas, Gulls, Terns, Skimmers (Laridae)

Codes: Common Name: BLKI Scientific Name: RISTRI ITIS Taxonomic No.: 176875

Breeding Location:

Rocky cliffs

Breeding Type:

Monogamous, Colonial

Breeding Population:

Abundant

Egg Color:

Buff to olive or blue with brown or gray speckles

Number of Eggs:

1 - 3

Incubation Days:

25 - 32

Egg Incubator:

Both sexes

Nest Material:

Grass and weeds.

Migration:

Migratory

General

Black-legged Kittiwake: Medium-sized white gull with pale gray back and upperwings and black wing tips. Bill is yellow and legs are black. Sexes are similar. Winter adult has pale gray crown and nape. Juvenile has dark gray spot behind eye and black bill, half-collar, wing patches and tail tip.

Range and Habitat

Black-legged Kittiwake: Breeds in north Pacific, Arctic Ocean, and Atlantic south to Gulf of Saint Lawrence. Spends winters from edge of sea ice southward, rarely to Gulf of Mexico; also in Eurasia. Nests on ledges of offshore islands, sea stacks, or inaccessible areas on coastal mainland.

Breeding and Nesting

Black-legged Kittiwake: One to three buff to olive or blue eggs with brown or gray speckles are laid in a nest made of grass and seaweeds plastered with mud and guano, and built on a narrow rocky ledge 10 to 20 feet above water. Incubation ranges from 25 to 32 days and is carried out by both parents.

Foraging and Feeding

Black-legged Kittiwake: Feeds mostly on fish. Also eats crustaceans, marine worms, mollusks, squid, insects, and sometimes plant material; forages on the water surface while in flight or swimming.

Vocalization

Black-legged Kittiwake: Series of piercing "kittiwakes." Also makes quieter "ock-ock-ock."

Similar Species

Black-legged Kittiwake: Red-legged Kittiwake has darker back, shorter bill, darker underwings, and red legs.

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Bird Call Credits: The Macaulay Library of Natural Sounds at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Martyn Stewart, http://www.naturesound.org, Redmond, Washington USA. The reuse or copying of bird calls in this database is strictly forbidden.

Black-legged Kittiwake

Black-legged Kittiwake: Medium-sized white gull with pale gray back and upperwings and black wing tips. Bill is yellow, legs and feet are black. Swift graceful flight, alternates several rapid shallow wing beats with a glide. Often hovers over water before diving for prey at surface.

● Song: "kittiwake"

● Foraging & Feeding: Black-legged Kittiwake: Feeds mostly on fish. Also eats crustaceans, marine worms, mollusks, squid, insects, and sometimes plant material; forages on the water surface while in flight or swimming.

● Breeding & nesting: Black-legged Kittiwake: One to three buff to olive or blue eggs with brown or gray speckles are laid in a nest made of grass and seaweeds plastered with mud and guano, and built on a narrow rocky ledge 10 to 20 feet above water. Incubation ranges from 25 to 32 days and is carried out by both parents.

● Similar species: Black-legged Kittiwake: Red-legged Kittiwake has darker back, shorter bill, darker underwings, and red legs.

Flight Pattern

Buoyant flight with several rapid wing beats between glides., Graceful.

● Range & Habitat: Black-legged Kittiwake: Breeds in north Pacific, Arctic Ocean, and Atlantic south to Gulf of Saint Lawrence. Spends winters from edge of sea ice southward, rarely to Gulf of Mexico; also in Eurasia. Nests on ledges of offshore islands, sea stacks, or inaccessible areas on coastal mainland.

^BreedingMonogamous, Colonial

^PopulationAbundant

^MigrationMigratory

^Weight14.9 Ounces

Collar

Similar to the upper part of the human neck, located at the back of the crown.

Crown

The crown is the top part of the birds head.

Nape

Also called the hindneck or collar, it is the back of the neck where the head joins the body.

4 and 6 letter alpha codes

The four letter common name alpha code is is derived from the first two letters of the common first name and the first two letters of common last name. The six letter species name alpha code is derived from the first three letters of the scientific name (genus) and the first three letters of the scientific name (species). See (1) below for the rules used to create the codes..

Four-letter (for English common names) and six-letter (for scientific names) species alpha codes were developed by Pyle and DeSante (2003, North American Bird-Bander 28:64-79) to reflect A.O.U. taxonomy and nomenclature (A.O.U. 1998) as modified by Supplements 42 (Auk 117:847-858, 2000) and 43 (Auk 119:897-906, 2002). The list has been updated by Pyle and DeSante to reflect changes reported by the A.O.U from 2003 through 2006.

Field Guide to Birds of North America