Out of the sun and into the wind... These small delicate gulls are ocean wanderers which never come inland to feed. They build deep-cupped nests on precipitous cliffs in colonies reverberating with their call 'kittee-wa-aaake, kitte-wa-aaake' from where the bird takes its name.
Kittiwakes are masters of the wind riding the roughest updrafts with ease.
The small delicate build, fine yellow bill and black tipped wings are characteristic.
Image taken on the Isle of May, Firth of Forth, Scotland.
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high Arctic to temperate n coasts, from Greenland, Iceland, w, nw Europe, Svalbard (n of Norway), n Siberian is. to Sakhalin, Kamchatka, Kuril and Commander is. (e Russia); Aleutian and Bering Sea is., w, sw Alaska mainland; Canadian high Arctic (ne Canad
Nonbreeding Range Subregions
w North Atlantic coast and coastal waters s to Virginia; mid-Atlantic Ridge to Azores; North Sea; Japan, Korean Pen., se Alaska to s California (USA)
Albania,Algeria,Austria,Belarus,Belgium,British Virgin Islands,Bulgaria,Canada,Cape Verde,China, Croatia,Cyprus,Czech Republic,Denmark,Egypt,Estonia,Finland,France,Gambia,Germany, Gibraltar,Greece,Greenland,Hungary,Iceland,India - mainland,Iran,Ireland,Israel,Japan, Kazakhstan,Latvia,Lebanon,Lithuania,Luxembourg,Macedonia,Mauritania,Mexico,Mongolia,Montenegro, Morocco,Netherlands,Norway,Poland,Portugal,Romania,Russia,Senegal,Serbia,Slovenia, South Korea,Spain,Sweden,Switzerland,Taiwan,Tunisia,Turkey,Ukraine,United Kingdom,United States - Alaska, United States - mainland,Western Sahara,
IOC 13.1 Subspecies
Group
Subspecies
Breeding Range
tridactyla
high Arctic to temperate n coasts, from Greenland, Iceland, w, nw Europe, Svalbard and nw Siberian is.; Canadian high Arctic (ne Canada), Gulf of St. Lawrence and Newfoundland (se Canada)
pollicaris
high Arctic to temperate n coasts, from ne Siberian is. to Sakhalin, Kamchatka, Kuril and Commander is. (e Russia); Aleutian and Bering Sea is., and w, sw Alaska mainland
Africa (entire continent rather than south of Sahara)
AN
Antarctica
AO
Atlantic Ocean
AU
Australasia (Wallacea (Indonesian islands east of Wallace's line), New Guinea and its islands, Australia, New Zealand and its subantarctic islands, the Solomons, New Caledonia, and Vanuatu)
PAL
Eurasia (Europe, Asia from the Middle East through central Asia north of the Himalayas, Siberia and northern China to Japan)
IO
Indian Ocean
LA
Latin America (Middle and South America)
MA
Middle America (Mexico through Panama)
NA
North America (includes the Caribbean)
NO
Northern oceans
OR
Oriental Region (South Asia from Pakistan to Taiwan, plus Southeast Asia, the Philippines, and Greater Sundas)
