Animalscaretips
Distribution and habitat Kittiwakes are coastal breeding birds ranging in the North Pacific, North Atlantic, and Arctic oceans. They form large, dense, noisy colonies during the summer reproductive period, often sharing habitat with murres. They are the only gull species that are exclusively cliff-nesting.
- Where do kittiwakes migrate to?
- How many kittiwakes are there in the UK?
- Do gulls eat Kittiwake?
- Are kittiwakes protected?
- Where do kittiwakes go in winter?
- What noise do kittiwakes make?
- Is a Kittiwake a seagull?
- How many eggs do kittiwakes lay?
- What type of consumer is a Kittiwake?
- Why is the Kittiwake endangered?
- Do kittiwakes eat salmon?
- Do gannets eat a lot?
- Where do skuas live?
Where do kittiwakes migrate to?
Kittiwakes, which have seen declines in numbers in much of northern Europe and the UK in recent years, tend to leave their summer breeding grounds earlier if they fail to breed and then head 1,800 miles to over-winter off Canada.
How many kittiwakes are there in the UK?
It nests in colonies on clifftops and rock ledges from February until August; there are 380,000 pairs in the UK.
Do gulls eat Kittiwake?
Kittiwakes are often the first species that discovers a patch of prey, and other seabirds are quickly attracted. Larger gulls and jaegers often target kittiwakes, harassing them in flight and stealing their food. Kittiwakes also regularly steal food in this manner from other kittiwakes.
Are kittiwakes protected?
The Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 (as amended) protects adult kittiwakes, their active nests, eggs and chicks. For example, it is illegal to remove or destroy eggs or a nest that is in use and kill adult birds or chicks. The use of deterrents is legal provided that they are installed outside the breeding season.
Where do kittiwakes go in winter?
Following the end of the seabird breeding season, Kittiwakes depart their nesting colonies in the North Sea in September and winter across in the north-west Atlantic, some as far as 1,800 miles off the coast of Greenland and Canada.
What noise do kittiwakes make?
Kittiwakes eat small fish or the remains of fish, catching them from the surface of the sea as they fly. They also eat small squid, molluscs, shrimps and worms. They are not usually a noisy bird, but at their breeding colonies they make a loud cry which sounds like 'kitt-ee-wake', which is how they got their name.
Is a Kittiwake a seagull?
Kittiwakes are coastal breeding birds ranging in the North Pacific, North Atlantic, and Arctic oceans. They form large, dense, noisy colonies during the summer reproductive period, often sharing habitat with murres. They are the only gull species that are exclusively cliff-nesting.
How many eggs do kittiwakes lay?
2 eggs are laid between the middle of May and June. The eggs are incubated for about 4 weeks. After the egg hatches the parents will switch off caring for the chick and flying out to sea to feed.
What type of consumer is a Kittiwake?
Puffins, kittiwakes, and gulls are tertiary consumers.
Why is the Kittiwake endangered?
For the adults, exposure to other threats at sea such as lack of food due to bycatch in fishing gear, pollution, and hunting in the Faroe Islands and Greenland have all contributed to the dramatic declines of the seabird.
Do kittiwakes eat salmon?
Kittiwakes will also feed on salmon eggs in coastal areas and offal from fish processing (Cramp and Simmons, 1983). Despite this flexibility, kittiwakes have preferred prey, perhaps chosen for their nutritional value or ease of capture (Suryan et al., 2002; Robards et al., 1999; Van Pelt et al., 1997).
Do gannets eat a lot?
The gannet's supposed capacity for eating large quantities of fish has led to "gannet" becoming a description of somebody with a voracious appetite.
Where do skuas live?
Distribution: Widespread throughout coastal regions in Antarctica, migrates across the equator in the Antarctic winter reaching as far as Alaska and Greenland. Skuas have been seen at the south pole.
