Rissa tridactyla (Linnaeus, 1758)

Taxonomic Classification

The black-legged kittiwake (Rissa tridactyla) is a seabird species that belongs to the gull family Laridae.

Initial Scientific Description

This species was first described by Carl Linnaeus in his landmark 1758 10th edition of Systema Naturae, originally named Larus tridactylus.

Common Name Etymology

Its English common name comes from its characteristic shrill call, transcribed as 'kittee-wa-aaake, kitte-wa-aaake'.

Regional Common Name Variation

In North America, the name black-legged kittiwake is used to distinguish this species from the red-legged kittiwake, but in Europe, where it is the only member of the genus Rissa, it is often simply called kittiwake.

General Distribution Range

The black-legged kittiwake is a coastal bird found across arctic to subarctic regions of the world.

Breeding Coastal Distribution

It occurs along all northern Atlantic coasts from Canada to Greenland, and along northern Pacific coasts from Alaska to the coast of Siberia.

Wintering Distribution

Its wintering range extends further south, reaching from the St. Lawrence to the southern coast of New Jersey, and also includes areas in China, the Sargasso Sea, and off the coast of West Africa.

Recognized Subspecies

There are two recognized subspecies of black-legged kittiwake: Rissa tridactyla tridactyla is found on Atlantic coasts, while Rissa tridactyla pollicaris occurs on Pacific coasts.

Pelagic Trait Among Gulls

Among all gulls, kittiwakes are the most pelagic, with the possible exception of Sabine's gull.

Non-breeding Marine Habitat

Kittiwakes are almost exclusively found at sea except during the breeding season, which runs from May to September.

Breeding Season Nesting Habitat

During breeding season, they nest on the sheerest sea cliffs.

Inland Occurrence

They are rarely found inland, though occasional vagrant individuals can turn up far inland, even in central Asia more than a thousand kilometers from the sea.

Non-breeding Marine Behavior

For the rest of the year, kittiwakes spend most of their time flying out of sight of land.

Feeding Guild Classification

Kittiwakes are primarily pelagic piscivorous birds.

General Diet Composition

Their main food source is fish, though they also eat invertebrates including copepods, polychaetes, and squid, especially when fish is less available.

Diet Variability Factor

Their diet is quite variable due to their wide geographic range.

Gulf of Alaska Regional Diet

In the Gulf of Alaska, their diet typically includes Pacific capelin, Pacific herring, Pacific sand lance, and many other species.

United Kingdom Regional Diet

In the United Kingdom, European kittiwakes rely mostly on sandeels.

Sandeel Stock Collapse Breeding Impact

In 2004, the kittiwake population on the Shetland Islands, along with local murre (guillemot) and tern populations, completely failed to reproduce successfully after a collapse in local sandeel stocks.

General Foraging Behavior

Like most gulls, kittiwakes forage at the water surface, catching prey while in flight or resting on the water.

Winter Foraging Context

Throughout winter, kittiwakes spend all of their time at sea foraging.

Scavenging Behavior

Unlike some gull species, they do not scavenge at landfills.

Foraging Style Comparison

Kittiwakes' foraging style is often compared to terns' foraging strategy, because they frequently hover and quickly dive headfirst at the water surface.

Association With Whales

It is common for kittiwakes to follow whales, as they feed on fish fragments expelled by these large marine mammals.

Association With Fishing Vessels

Fishermen and commercial fishing boats frequently see large groups of kittiwakes, often mixed with other gull species and terns, hovering around their vessels to feed on scraps discarded in wastewater or thrown overboard.

Water Preference Observations

Few studies have focused on the water needs of kittiwakes, but they seem to prefer salt water over fresh water.

Captive Water Consumption Behavior

Captive kittiwakes are known to refuse fresh water, but will readily drink salt water.