Bird of the Week – Black-legged Kittiwake

A handsome, delicate-looking gull, the Black-legged Kittiwake breeds in southcentral and southwestern coastal Alaska. Generally a colonial breeder, some of the rookeries are immense. The species’ name probably comes from its call, which does sound very much like “kittiwake”. A small number of non-breeders can usually be found along the bridges on the easterly side of Valdez Arm. The lemon-yellow bill, jet blacklegs and black-tipped wings are reliable field marks for this species. For more bird photos, please visit Frozen Feather Images.