Gulls & Terns

Black-legged Kittiwake

Rissa tridactyla

A graceful, pelagic gull with clean white plumage, pale gray wings tipped in solid black ('dipped in ink'), and a distinctive nasal kitti-waake call. Nests in cliff colonies on Kodiak's rocky sea stacks.

Where to look

Barren Islands cliff colonies; offshore waters around Kodiak Island; visible from the ferry.

Habitat

Offshore ocean for most of the year; cliff ledges for nesting.

Diet

Small fish, squid, and marine invertebrates.

Natural history note

Black-legged Kittiwakes are so adapted to nesting on narrow cliff ledges that their young have a strong instinct to face the rock wall and never turn toward the sea.