Red-legged Kittiwake - BirdForum Opus

Rissa brevirostris

Red-legged Kittiwake among Black-legged Kittiwakes
Photo by peterday
St Paul, Pribilofs, Alaska, July 2017

Identification

35-40 cm. Red legs, curved yellow bill. All-white head, white underparts, white tail, grey back and wings with black tips. During the non-breeding season, there is black smudge on each side of the head, behind the eyes. Juveniles show these black facial marks, and a grey-black collar along the back of the head.

Distribution

Pribilof, Bogoslof and Buldir islands of the USA, and the Commander Islands, Russia in the Bering Sea.

Taxonomy

Monotypic.

Habitat

Cliffs.

Behaviour

Both sexes build a shallow cup nest of mud, grass and kelp. 1-2 eggs are laid and incubated by both parents who also both care for the young.

The diet includes small fish (especially lampfish and Pollock), squid, and marine zooplankton.

External Links

Search for photos of Red-legged Kittiwake in the gallery

GSearch checked for 2020 platform.1