Black-legged Kittiwake

Seen one? Add it to your free UK BirdedexHear its song and see the mapFree, no app download. Uncommon bird: +3 points when you log it.

Habitat and behaviour

Habitat: Sea-cliff ledges (summer).
Diet: Fish, plankton.
Best time to spot: Calls its name at the colony.

When to look

Resident in the UK, so it can be found year-round. Numbers peak in May. See the May birding guide for what else is about. More on the season in British seabirds.

Taller bars mean more birds about. Grey means it is usually absent.

How rare is it?

The Black-legged Kittiwake sits in our Uncommon tier for the UK: regular, but you usually need the right place or the right season. It is Red-listed in Birds of Conservation Concern 5, the highest level of concern in the UK.

Recent UK sightings

Similar birds

• Common GuillemotUncommon · Sea-cliff ledges (summer)
• Atlantic PuffinUncommon · Sea-cliff burrows (summer)
• Arctic SkuaUncommon · Northern moors (summer); sea (passage)
• Arctic TernUncommon · Northern coasts (summer)
• Common CuckooUncommon · Reedbeds
• Common GreenshankUncommon · Bogs (summer); estuaries (passage)

Kit that helps

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