whitish plumage, black wing-tips; all-yellow bill
(California, USA; 2012-01-04) |
Black-legged Kittiwake
Rissa tridactyla
Native Range: North America and Eurasia; A very rare vagrant in Orange County. All of these pictures were taken from the San Clemente pier on Jan. 4, 2012.
Notes: kittiwakes get their name from their call or
voice, which sounds like kitti-weeeik; nests
precariously on the ledges on sheer cliffs above northern rocky
shorelines; feeds mostly far out at sea.
All photographs and notes ©2012 John C. Avise
|
second-year bird, as told by black wing dots
(California, USA; 2012-01-04) |
adult's bill is plain yellow, slightly decurved
(California, USA; 2012-01-04) |
head-on view in flight (California, USA; 2012-01-04)
|
black collar across grey nape; grey above eye
(California, USA; 2012-01-04) |
adult has all-white tail and pale primaries
(California, USA; 2012-01-04) |
the back of the head looks "smudgy" (California, USA;
2012-01-04) |
hunts at sea, but sometimes comes nearshore
(California, USA; 2012-01-04) |
flight agile on wings that are held rather stiff
(California, USA; 2012-01-04) |
ventral flight view of this handsome species
(California, USA; 2012-01-04) |
dorsal flight view; still handsome (California, USA;
2012-01-04) |
legs are short and dark or almost black (California,
USA; 2012-01-04) |
eating a fisherman's piece of squid (California, USA;
2012-01-04) |
posing for a portrait (California, USA; 2012-01-04 |
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