Black-legged Kittiwake

Colour - white with grey wings and black wing tips; bill yellow; legs black

Length - 40 to 45 cm

Shape - black wing tips almost appear to have been dipped in ink

Behaviour - often feeds far from shore (most gulls to not); eat planktonic crustaceans and Arctic Cod, usually by picking up prey from the surface while in flight

Distribution - breeds in dense colonies on islands around Baffin Bay (Bylot Island, Coburg Island), Lancaster Sound (Prince Leopold Island), eastern Hudson Stait, west coast Greenland; common in Lancaster Sound, Baffin Bay, and eastern Hudson Strait in summer

Sensitivity - colonies are very sensitive to disturbance: the approach of ships or aircraft can cause birds to become agitated; agitated birds may leave their nests quickly, knocking eggs or chicks off the cliff ledges, with the result that many will die and the population will suffer a decline; for more information see Sensitivity Information on the Birds - General Information page

Black-legged Kittiwake (31 KB)

Lancaster Sound Area Distribution Maps: Fall Scenario Spring (Ice Scenario 1) Spring (Ice Scenario 2) Spring (Ice Scenario 3) Summer Scenario

Coronation Gulf Area Distribution Maps: See the Birds - General Information page.