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Black-legged Kittiwake
(Rissa tridactyla)
: "Kittiwake"
 German name(s): "Dreizehenmöwe"
Size: 37-42 cm; wing span: 0.9-1.05 m
Weight: 305-525 g
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Similar
species |
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Physical description |
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 Click here for a physical description
Black-legged Kittiwakes are small, slender gull-like seabirds.
The two sexes are identical, but they have different
plumages during
the breeding
season and in
eclipse.
Adult
breeding
Black-legged Kittiwakes have an all-white head, neck and front.
The mantle, back and upperwing coverts are light-grey. The primaries
are two-toned light to pale grey, with solid-black triangular tips.
In eclipse
the nape of the neck turns light-grey and they develop
a small grey patch above each eye and a larger one behind the eye.
The irises are dark; the bill is greyish-yellow. As the name already
suggests, the rather short legs and feet are dark-grey to black.
Juvenile
and first-winter
Black-legged Kittiwakes
roughly resemble
adults in eclipse,
but with a prominent black triangle on each upperwing creating a
black "W" pattern in flight.
Juveniles,
in addition, have a black semi-collar on the nape of the neck.
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Taxonomy, classification |
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See Black-legged
Kittiwake at Wikipedia  .
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Range, habitat, finding this species |
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Click here for information on habitat
and range
The overall distribution of this species can be assessed, and
specific locations where birds have been spotted can be found,
based on individual sighting reports submitted by birdwatchers to
ebird.org
.
The global distribution of the Black-legged Kittiwake is available
HERE
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There are two races of the Black-legged Kittiwake, which are
a strongly migratory species of the northern hemisphere.
Nominate race
"tridactyla" is found in the northern Atlantic and the North Sea.
They breed in western and northern Europe and on islands in the
northern Atlantic and the Arctic, such as north-eastern Canada,
Greenland, Iceland and Svalbard.
Race "pollicaris" populates the northern Pacific.
In Europe Black-legged Kittiwakes,n ominate race
"tridactyla",
are summer breeding migrants
along the western coastline, mostly of the Bretagne, the British
Isles and western and northern Scandinavia, as far as the Kola
peninsula. There are also a few suitable sites on the western
Iberian peninsula, Germany (Helgoland) and northern Denmark.
They are the most pelagic of the European gull-related species,
spending the winters at sea, in the northern Atlantic and the
North Sea, but they do not enter the Baltic Sea.
Black-legged Kittiwakes breed in large colonies, primarily on
steep sea cliffs, but also on man-made structures, never far
from the coastline. Outside the breeding season they are usually
found at sea, often trailing fishing vessels.
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Sightings |
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Click here for sighting information
Race "tridactyla"
M. Eaton reports finding a Black-legged Kittiwake, nominate race
"tridactyla",
at Land's End, Cornwall, England, in September 2019.
J. Pires spotted a Black-legged Kittiwake,
nominate race
"tridactyla",
at Cabo Raso, Cascais, near Lisbon, Portugal, in January 2021.
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Photos |
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Race "tridactyla"
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ADULT |
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NON-BREEDING |
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Lateral view of a Black-legged Kittiwake in non-breeding
plumage
in flight
(photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Cabo Raso, Cascais, near Lisbon, Portugal, January 2021]
Lateral view onto the upperparts of a Black-legged Kittiwake
in non-breeding
plumage
in flight
(photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Cabo Raso, Cascais, near Lisbon, Portugal, January 2021]
Lateral view onto the upperparts of a Black-legged Kittiwake
in non-breeding
plumage
in flight
(photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Cabo Raso, Cascais, near Lisbon, Portugal, January 2021]
Near-dorsal view onto the upperparts of a Black-legged Kittiwake
in non-breeding
plumage
in flight
(photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Cabo Raso, Cascais, near Lisbon, Portugal, January 2021]
Near-dorsal/ventral view of a Black-legged Kittiwake
in non-breeding
plumage
in flight
(photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Cabo Raso, Cascais, near Lisbon, Portugal, January 2021]
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IMMATURE/JUVENILE |
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Lateral view onto the upperparts of a juvenile Black-legged
Kittiwake in flight - note the black semi-collar
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Land's End, Cornwall, England, September 2019]
These pages are largely based on our own observations and those of our
contributors. The structure of these bird pages is explained HERE. For more salient facts on any bird species
please refer to a field guide.
Breeding
Nest
Eggs
Behaviour
Food
Call/s
