Red-legged kittiwake
Rissa brevirostris
Identification Tips:
- Sexes similar
- Medium-sized gull
- Short bill with indistinct gonydeal angle
- Dark gray mantle
- Breeds locally on islands off Alaska-very rarely observed elsewhere in
western United States and Canada
Adult alternate:
- Yellow unmarked bill
- Dark eye
- Red legs
- White head, neck, breast, and belly
- White tertial crescent
- Primary tips black with no white spots
- White tail
Adult basic:
- Like adult alternate but dark smudges on nape
Juvenile/First-year:
- Black bill
- Black ear spot
- Thin black collar
- Gray back
- Black outer primaries
- White tail
Similar species:
Only the Black-legged Kittiwake shares the solid black wingtips and
plain yellow bill of the adult Red-legged Kittiwake. The adult Red-legged
Kittiwake has a darker mantle, shorter bill, darker underwings, and red legs.
First-year Red-legged Kittiwake has bold wing patterns that are similar to
the immatures of several other small gulls, but are distinguished by the solid
white tail.