Class:
Aves
Family:
Laridae
Common Name:
Black-legged Kittiwake
Genus:
Rissa
Species Name:
tridactyla
About The Black-legged Kittiwake
Kittiwakes are true seabirds. They spend practically their entire life at sea. They only land on the coast to breed and make their nests on the steep cliffs of Heligoland, England, Scotland and Scandinavia. Since 2000, kittiwakes have also been breeding in Dutch territory, on drilling platforms at sea. Being at sea so much, they eat mostly fish, which they capture by hanging just above the water surface. They dive into the water as soon as they sight something that looks tasty. It's not difficult to make a mistake. When a kittiwake is found on the beach, it is usually a victim of marine litter, having mistaken it for something edible.
Rights Holder: Copyright Ecomare
Trips Where Observed
Alaska
Alaska 2010
Iceland
Newfoundland
Member Lifelists
Europe
North America
United States
World
Sites Where Observed