Black-legged Kittiwake
| Class: Aves: Birds |
Diet: Fish |
| Order:
Charadriiformes: Auks, Waders, Laris |
| Size:
41 - 46 cm (16 - 18 in) |
| Family: Laridae:
Gulls, Terns |
Conservation Status:
Vulnerable |
| Scientific Name: Rissa
tridactyla |
Habitat: oceanic |
| Range:
North Pacific, North Atlantic Oceans, parts of Arctic Ocean |
 This
kittiwake is much more oceanic in its habits than the Larus gulls and normally
comes ashore only to breed. It seldom walks, so its legs are much shorter
than those of most gulls, and it has only three toes on each foot. It feeds
on fish, small mollusks and crustaceans and also scavenges the waste dumped
from fishing boats. These kittiwakes nest in huge colonies of thousands
of birds, normally on high cliffs. A pair builds a nest from plants, seaweed
and guano, cementing it to the cliff ledge with mud. The usual clutch is
2 eggs, which are incubated for 23 to 32 days by both parents.
  
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