Kittiwake Gull

Kittiwake

The kittiwakes are two closely related seabird species in the gull family Laridae, the black-legged kittiwake and the red-legged kittiwake. The epithets "black-legged" and "red-legged" are used to distinguish the two species in North America, but in Europe, where Rissa brevirostris is not found, the black-legged kittiwake is often known simply as kittiwake. The name is derived from its call, a shrill 'kittee-wa-aaake, kitte-wa-aaake'. The genus name Rissa is from the Icelandic name Rita for the black-legged kittiwake.

Gull

Gulls, informally called seagulls, are seabirds of the subfamily Larinae. They are most closely related to terns and skimmers, and are placed with them in the family Laridae. They are also related, more distantly, to auks and skuas, and more distantly still to waders. Until the 21st century, most gulls were placed in the genus Larus, but that arrangement is now considered polyphyletic, leading to the readoption and revision of several genera.

kittiwake

Noun

1. Either of two small gulls in the genus Rissa of the family Laridae that nest in colonies on sea cliffs and spend the winter on the open ocean.
2. the black-legged kittiwake (Rissa tridactyla), no other kittiwake being found in Europe.

gull

Noun

1. A seabird of the genus Larus or of the subfamily Larinae.
2. Any of various pierid butterflies of the genus Cepora.

Noun

1. A cheating trick; a fraud.
2. A stupid animal.