Black-legged Kittiwake

About the Black-legged Kittiwake
Also known as: Kittiwake

The Black-legged Kittiwake is a sea bird that breeds on coasts around the North Pacific and North Atlantic oceans, but it is most commonly found in North America and Europe. They make large and very loud colonies when breeding, and are able to utilize the very sheerest of vertical cliffs.

There are two races of Black-legged Kittiwake: one in the North Atlantic ocean and the other in the North Pacific ocean. The first has a very small or even no hind toe, and thus in some European countries the bird is known as the 'three-toed' gull. The Pacific race does have a normally developed hind toe.

Black-legged Kittiwakes are true seabirds, spending much of their lives out over the ocean, only coming ashore to breed. Known for their loud, shrill calls that sound like "kitti-wake," these birds nest in large colonies on cliffs overlooking the sea. They are adept at catching fish and small marine invertebrates, which they snatch from the surface without diving.

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Details & Statistics

International Names

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