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Black-legged Kittiwake

Rissa tridactyla

Named after its call. Outside the nesting season it lives far out at sea, unlike most gulls.

Where to see it for real: Nests on tiny cliff ledges, building cups of mud and seaweed.

Spot it in the game

Lives in the Sea cliffs habitat (North Atlantic coast, in summer).

Black-legged Kittiwake, Rissa tridactyla
Photo: Donald Davesne, CC BY 4.0, via iNaturalist. Cut out from the original photo.

Black-legged Kittiwake facts

Family
Gulls and terns
Length
16 in (40 cm)
Wingspan
37 in (95 cm)
Weight
14 oz (400 g)
Diet
Small fish and krill picked from the sea surface.
Range
The North Atlantic and North Pacific; winters far out at sea.
Nest
A cup of mud and seaweed stuck to a tiny cliff ledge.
Song
A nasal "kitti-waaake" at the colony.
Active
by day
Status
Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List: at high risk in the wild.

What the Black-legged Kittiwake sounds like

Recording 1: no rights reserved, CC0, original on iNaturalist. Trimmed and cleaned of low background noise.
Recording 2: steve, CC BY-SA 4.0, original on xeno-canto. Trimmed and cleaned of low background noise.

More: bird songs and calls.

More birds of the sea cliffs

Atlantic PuffinAtlantic PuffinSea cliffsRazorbillRazorbillSea cliffsCommon MurreCommon MurreSea cliffsNorthern GannetNorthern GannetSea cliffsNorthern FulmarNorthern FulmarSea cliffsCommon EiderCommon EiderSea cliffs

Spot the Black-legged Kittiwake yourself

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