whitish plumage, black wing-tips; all-yellow bill (California, USA; 2012-01-04)


Black-legged Kittiwake
Rissa tridactyla

Native Range: North America and Eurasia

Notes: kittiwakes get their name from their call or voice, which sounds like kitti-weeeik; nests precariously on the ledges on sheer cliffs above northern rocky shorelines; feeds mostly far out at sea.

second-year bird, as told by black wing dots (California, USA; 2012-01-04)
adult's bill is plain yellow, slightly decurved (California, USA; 2012-01-04)

head-on view in flight (California, USA; 2012-01-04)
black collar across grey nape; grey above eye (California, USA; 2012-01-04)

adult has all-white tail and pale primaries (California, USA; 2012-01-04)
the back of the head looks "smudgy" (California, USA; 2012-01-04)

hunts at sea, but sometimes comes nearshore (California, USA; 2012-01-04)
flight agile on wings that are held rather stiff (California, USA; 2012-01-04)

ventral flight view of this handsome species (California, USA; 2012-01-04)
dorsal flight view; still handsome (California, USA; 2012-01-04)

legs are short and dark or almost black (California, USA; 2012-01-04)
eating a fisherman's piece of squid (California, USA; 2012-01-04)

posing for a portrait (California, USA; 2012-01-04)
dorsal view in flight (California, USA; 2012-01-07)
full-body portrait, facing left (California, USA; 2012-01-07) full-body portrait, facing right (California, USA; 2012-01-07)
head portrait, facing right (California, USA; 2012-01-07) head portrait, facing left (California, USA; 2012-01-07)