Photo by Wikipedia · sourced from Wikimedia Commons

Black-legged Kittiwake

三趾鷗 · 三趾鸥 · 三趾鷗 · Mouette tridactyle · Gaviota tridáctila

Rissa tridactyla

A small white-and-grey gull that nests on tiny cliff ledges over the sea. Its name comes from its noisy "kitti-waaaake!" call.

Size

Medium · 40 cm

Latin name

Rissa tridactyla

Status

Native to Ireland

Where to spot

Where you can spot the Black-legged Kittiwake in Ireland

Skellig Islands — County Kerry: Two amazing rocky islands rising from the sea. Home to puffins, gannets, kittiwakes and Manx shearwaters.
Rathlin Island — County Antrim: An RSPB nature reserve off the north coast — easier to reach than the Skelligs and full of seabirds in summer.
Cliffs of Moher — County Clare: Towering sea cliffs along the wild Atlantic coast. Look for puffins on the grass at the cliff top in summer, with thousands of guillemots and razorbills below.
Saltee Islands — County Wexford: Two small islands off the southeast coast — one of Ireland's biggest seabird colonies. In summer the cliffs are packed with gannets, puffins, razorbills and guillemots. Reach Great Saltee by day-boat from Kilmore Quay.