Black-legged Kittiwake

Rissa tridactyla

Saidhbhéar

Status: Summer visitor to steep coastal cliffs along all Irish coasts. Disperses to the open ocean in winter and less frequently seen.

Conservation Concern: Amber-listed in Ireland, due to its localised breeding population. The European population is regarded as Secure.

Identification: A small gull, slightly larger than Black-headed Gull, which is basically grey above and white below. Adults are easily told apart from other gull species by the solid black wing tips, showing no 'mirrors' (white at the wing tip), and two toned grey upperwing. Adult birds have a yellow bill and dark legs. Adults show white heads in the summer and a dark patch behind the eye in the winter. Juvenile and first year birds have a bold dark 'W-pattern' across the wing and a dark tail band, although these features can be much faded by the first summer/second winter. Second year birds are similar to adult birds but can show black fringes to outer primaries, black on the bill or winter head patterning in the summer months.

Call: Noisy at colonies, giving a nasal call resembling its name. Can often be heard clearly over the sounds of other birds at seabird colonies.

Diet: Fish, waste from commercial fishing and invertebrates.

Breeding: Forms colonies, sometimes thousands strong, often with other seabirds. Breeds on steep sea cliffs where it builds a nesting platform on the most vertical and sometimes improbably steep areas. Will -occasionally use man-made structures such as old buildings. Has been recorded in Ireland in Dunmore East in Co. Cork breeding on old buildings, and in Britain on gas platforms at sea and in old warehouses inland.

Wintering: Winters at sea.

Where to see: Rarely seen over land. Can be seen at colonies all around the coast of Ireland. An easily accessible colony to Dublin can be seen from the coast path between Bray and Greystones in County Wicklow. Some colonies may be difficult to view as they may be in caves or at the bottom of steep cliffs. The larger accessible colonies in Ireland occur at The Cliffs of Moher, Co. Clare (over 7,000 nests), Horn Head, Co. Donegal (over 3,000 nests) and on Gt. Saltee Island off Co. Wexford (over 2,000 nests).

Monitored by: Breeding seabirds are monitored through surveys carried out every 15-20 years, the last was Seabird 2000, which was undertaken between 1998 & 2002.