Black-legged Kittiwake
Black-legged Kittiwake (<em>Rissa tridactyla</em>) is a species of Gulls, Terns, Skimmers (<em>Laridae</em>) in the order Shorebirds, Gulls and Alcids.
Overview
Black-legged Kittiwake (Rissa tridactyla) is a species of Gulls, Terns, Skimmers (Laridae) in the order Shorebirds, Gulls and Alcids. A dainty white gull with black wing tips ('as if dipped in ink') and a yellow bill; nests in huge, noisy colonies on sheer sea cliffs; truly oceanic, wintering far at sea.
Scientific Classification
Genus: Rissa; binomial: Rissa tridactyla; authority: (Linnaeus, 1758). Typical size: 37-42cm. Average lifespan: 10-20 years.
Distribution
Breeding range: the Palearctic and the Nearctic. Non-breeding range: w North Atlantic coast and coastal waters s to Virginia; mid-Atlantic Ridge to Azores; North Sea; Japan, Korean Pen., se Alaska to s California (USA).
Conservation Status
This taxon is listed as Extant (living) in the IOC World Bird List.
Remarks
No additional remarks recorded.
