One of the 9 gulls on WAnimals
Birds · Charadriiformes · Laridae
Black-legged Kittiwake
Rissa tridactyla
It faces a high risk of extinction in the wild over the medium term. See full glossary
It is the only gull in the world that can dive underwater after its prey. It nests on extremely narrow cliff ledges, where its chicks stay unusually still to avoid falling.
Weight
317 g – 500 g
Size
33 cm – 46 cm
Lifespan
16 years
Diet
Carnivore
Feeds mainly on other animals.
Activity
Diurnal
Active mainly during the day.
Social structure
Colony
Lives in large concentrations, often for breeding reasons.
Sighting difficulty
Moderate
Fun facts
- It is the only gull in the world that can dive underwater to hunt.
- Its chicks stay unusually still in the nest so as not to fall off the cliff.
- One documented bird reached 28.5 years.
Life cycle & biology
- Skeleton type
- Vertebrate - pneumatised bony skeleton (bird)
- Habitat & environment
- Sea cliffs and islands at high northern latitudes, wintering out on the open ocean
- Birth weight
- 36 grams
- Size at birth
- Altricial, wholly dependent on both parents
- Sexual maturity
- 4-5 years
- Gestation / incubation
- 25-28 days
- Litter / clutch size
- 1 to 3 eggs per clutch (most commonly 2)
Sources consulted: NHPBS NatureWorks; AnAge (genomics.senescence.info); Animalia.bio; Audubon Field Guide; Animal Diversity Web; Wikipedia (Kittiwake); eBird; Birds of the World; PMC (chromosome-level genome study)
Where to find it
See its range on the interactive mapBest time: From April to August at the cliff colonies of the North Atlantic; outside the breeding season it is fully pelagic and is not seen from land.
Where to watch it
Parques y spots de buceo donde se ha documentado esta especie — se muestran 10 de 27 documentados.
Related species
Other species in the catalogue with the most in common with Black-legged Kittiwake — same habitat, park, country, tags or family.
Great Black-backed Gull
Larus marinus
Black-headed Gull
Chroicocephalus ridibundus
Yellow-legged Gull
Larus michahellis
Herring Gull
Larus argentatus
Sandwich Tern
Thalasseus sandvicensis
Little Tern
Sternula albifrons
How to help
The black-legged kittiwake is classified as vulnerable. Organizations such as UICN, WWF y Wildlife Conservation Society work specifically on its conservation and that of its habitat; looking into their programs is a good starting point if you want to get involved.
It's documented in 10 real protected areas — part of why protecting these places matters for its conservation.
Keep exploring
Based on what we already know about black-legged kittiwake.
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