by Frank Keim
The Kittiwake is a dainty gull whose name, like that of the Mew gull, is imitative of its call. Wherever you find steep rocky sea cliffs on the coast of southwest Alaska, including the YK Delta, you’ll find teeming colonies of these noisy birds proclaiming their nasal call, kittiwake, kittiwake, kittiwake!
Their handsome gray and white plumage is highlighted by a bright canary-yellow bill and jet-black legs. They are what is called a true pelagic seabird because they spend almost their entire lives on the open ocean, only touching land during the nesting season.
Speaking of names, let’s mention what Yup’ik people call the gull. While teaching in Hooper Bay and Scammon Bay, I was given two names, Tarliaq and its variation, Arliaq. Later I learned that people from Chevak and those who lived in the Kuskokwim River area called the gull, Naruyacuaq, loosely meaning “little friendly gull.”
Their scientific name, Rissa tridactyla, also tells you something else about the little gull. Rissa is Icelandic for gull, and tridactyla is ancient Greek for “three-toed” because the hind fourth toes on its feet are reduced to only a small bump compared to the longer fourth toes of other gulls.
Although Kittiwakes are known to feed up to 30 miles out in the open sea from their nests, if you are in an open boat near one of their colonies you may see them cruising low over the water and momentarily dipping or plunging below the surface to seize small fish. They also catch prey while floating on the water or by diving and chasing it underwater down to depths of three feet. Among their favorite fish species are sandlance, capelin, herring, small cod, and lanternfish. They hunt lanternfish at night. Besides fish, they also eat small squid, krill, marine worms and small jellyfish.
Kittiwakes return north in the spring, following their prey species that also move north into colder waters. Males arrive first and claim the same nest site they used the previous year, which is usually located on steep narrow seaside cliff ledges, often among murres or other auks.
When the females return they usually re-partner with the same mate they had the year before. During the reestablishment of their pair bonds in spring, males and females greet one another with nodding, head-bobbing, and crossed necks.
In the case of unmated pairs, the male courtship display involves extending his neck, quickly bringing his bill down to his chest, then raising it skyward several times. Since he looks like he’s choking when he does this, it’s called the “choking display.” Both mates give a similar display at their nest when they exchange brooding or chick-feeding duties and when coming in conflict with other kittiwakes over their nest sites.
Males go a step further when defending their nest. They extend their neck, raise their body, half-close their eyes, face their rival with open bill, and make a cooing sound as they shimmy their body back and forth.
Both male and female help build a large bowl-shaped nest of mud, grass, feathers and seaweed on the ledge, and several days before the first egg is laid females often beg for food from males in a submissive posture. Males then regurgitate the food for them. After the first of up to three blue-brown to olive-brown, dark speckled eggs are laid, both parents incubate the eggs for 25-28 days and feed and defend their alert and mobile downy young in the nest until they are ready to fly 34-58 days later. Even after fledging, the young may return to their nest at night for several weeks until they and their parents finally leave again for the open sea.
Something unique about Black-legged kittiwakes is that when female birds outnumber males at a colony, the males may have two female partners at the same nest, with both females laying eggs. The females will then help each other incubate the eggs and raise the young, while the male continues to do the same.
Unfortunately, in the Bering Sea region some colonies of kittiwakes have experienced major decreases in their numbers. This is due to warming sea temperatures, which seriously reduce the plankton that are so important in keeping the food chain healthy for marine life. They are one of so many YK bird species that are suffering from the tragic consequences of human-caused Climate Change. In this way, kittiwakes should serve as a wake-up call of what is to come for all animal life, including humans, who live in the Bering Sea region!
