Black-legged Kittiwake

Rissa tridactyla

Locally common with 416,000 breeding pairs in Britain plus 50,000 in Ireland.

Scarcer in Winter.

Also breeds in North & Western Europe & Northern North America from April-August.

Winters at sea from the Atlantic south to North Africa & the USA.

Breeding Adults have a white head and body, grey back, grey wings tipped solid black, black legs and a yellow bill. 

The call is a fimilar "kit-ti-wake".

In Winter, the species acquires a dark grey smudge behind the eye and a grey hind-neck collar.

The bill also turns a dusky-olive colour.

Juveniles have a black 'W' band across the length of the wings and whiter secondary and primary feathers behind the black 'W', a black hind-neck collar and a black terminal band on the tail.