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Black-legged Kittiwake Rissa tridactyla
IUCN Red List history
| Year | Category |
|---|---|
| 2012 | Least Concern |
| 2010 | Least Concern |
| 2009 | Least Concern |
| 2008 | Least Concern |
| 2004 | Least Concern |
| 2000 | Lower Risk/Least Concern |
| 1994 | Lower Risk/Least Concern |
| 1988 | Lower Risk/Least Concern |
Species attributes
| Migratory status | full migrant | Forest dependency | Does not normally occur in forest |
| Land mass type | Average mass | - |
Distribution
| Estimate | Data quality | |
|---|---|---|
| Extent of Occurrence breeding/resident (km2) | 1,080,000 | |
| Extent of Occurrence non-breeding (km2) | 1,080,000 | |
| Number of locations | - | |
| Fragmentation | - |
Population & trend
| Estimate | Data quality | Derivation | Year of estimate | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. of mature individuals | poor | Estimated | 2009 | |
| Population trend | Decreasing | - | ||
| Number of subpopulations | - | - | - | |
| Largest subpopulation | - | - | - | |
| Generation length (yrs) | 12.9 | - | - | - |
| Population justification: The global population is estimated to number c.17,000,000-18,000,000 individuals (Wetlands International 2006), while national population sizes have been estimated at c.50-10,000 wintering individuals in Korea and c.10,000-100,000 breeding pairs and c.1,000-10,000 individuals on migration in Russia (Brazil 2009). | ||||
| Trend justification: The population trend is decreasing in North America (based on BBS/CBC data: Butcher and Niven 2007), although populations are stable elsewhere (Wetlands International 2007). | ||||
Country/Territory distribution
| Country/Territory | Occurrence status | Extinct | Breeding | Non-breeding | Passage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Afghanistan | Unknown | No | |||
| Algeria | Native | No | |||
| Antigua and Barbuda | Vagrant | No | |||
| Austria | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Bahamas | Native | No | |||
| Barbados | Vagrant | No | |||
| Belarus | Vagrant | No | |||
| Belgium | Native | No | |||
| Belize | Vagrant | No | |||
| Bulgaria | Vagrant | No | Yes | ||
| Canada | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Cape Verde | Native | No | |||
| Cayman Islands (to UK) | Vagrant | No | |||
| Côte d'Ivoire | Unknown | No | |||
| China (mainland) | Native | No | |||
| Croatia | Vagrant | No | |||
| Cuba | Vagrant | No | |||
| Cyprus | Vagrant | No | |||
| Czech Republic | Vagrant | No | Yes | ||
| Denmark | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Dominica | Vagrant | No | |||
| Dominican Republic | Vagrant | No | |||
| Egypt | Vagrant | No | |||
| Estonia | Vagrant | No | |||
| Faroe Islands (to Denmark) | Native | No | |||
| France | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Gambia | Vagrant | No | |||
| Germany | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Gibraltar (to UK) | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Greece | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Greenland (to Denmark) | Native | No | |||
| Guadeloupe (to France) | Vagrant | No | |||
| Guinea | Unknown | No | |||
| Guinea-Bissau | Unknown | No | |||
| Haiti | Vagrant | No | |||
| Hungary | Vagrant | No | |||
| Iceland | Native | No | |||
| Iran, Islamic Republic of | Vagrant | No | Yes | ||
| Ireland | Native | No | |||
| Israel | Vagrant | No | Yes | ||
| Italy | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Jamaica | Vagrant | No | |||
| Japan | Native | No | |||
| Jordan | Vagrant | No | |||
| Kazakhstan | Vagrant | No | |||
| Kyrgyzstan | Vagrant | No | |||
| Latvia | Vagrant | No | |||
| Lebanon | Vagrant | No | Yes | ||
| Liberia | Unknown | No | |||
| Lithuania | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Luxembourg | Vagrant | No | |||
| Macedonia, the former Yugoslav Republic of | Vagrant | No | |||
| Malta | Vagrant | No | |||
| Martinique (to France) | Vagrant | No | |||
| Mauritania | Native | No | |||
| Mexico | Native | No | |||
| Monaco | Unknown | No | |||
| Mongolia | Vagrant | No | |||
| Montenegro | Vagrant | No | |||
| Montserrat (to UK) | Vagrant | No | |||
| Morocco | Native | No | |||
| Netherlands | Native | No | |||
| North Korea | Native | No | |||
| Norway | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Oman | Vagrant | No | Yes | ||
| Peru | Vagrant | No | |||
| Poland | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Portugal | Native | No | |||
| Puerto Rico (to USA) | Vagrant | No | Yes | ||
| Romania | Vagrant | No | Yes | ||
| Russia (Asian) | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Russia (Central Asian) | Vagrant | No | |||
| Russia (European) | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Senegal | Vagrant | No | |||
| Serbia | Vagrant | No | |||
| Sierra Leone | Unknown | No | |||
| Slovakia | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Slovenia | Native | No | Yes | ||
| South Africa | Vagrant | No | |||
| South Korea | Native | No | |||
| Spain | Native | No | |||
| St Kitts and Nevis | Vagrant | No | |||
| St Lucia | Vagrant | No | |||
| St Pierre and Miquelon (to France) | Native | No | |||
| St Vincent and the Grenadines | Vagrant | No | |||
| Svalbard and Jan Mayen Islands (to Norway) | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Sweden | Native | No | |||
| Switzerland | Native | No | |||
| Syria | Vagrant | No | Yes | ||
| Trinidad and Tobago | Vagrant | No | |||
| Tunisia | Native | No | |||
| Turkey | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Turks and Caicos Islands (to UK) | Vagrant | No | |||
| Ukraine | Vagrant | No | |||
| United Arab Emirates | Vagrant | No | Yes | ||
| United Kingdom | Native | No | |||
| USA | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Uzbekistan | Vagrant | No | |||
| Virgin Islands (to UK) | Vagrant | No | |||
| Virgin Islands (to USA) | Vagrant | No | |||
| Western Sahara | Native | No |
Important Bird Areas where this species has triggered the IBA criteria
| Country/Territory | IBA Name | IBA link |
|---|---|---|
| Canada | Falaise aux Goélands and pointe de l’Est |  |
| Denmark | Lille Middelgrund | |
| Iceland | Breidafjördur | |
| Iceland | Grímsey | |
| Iceland | Hælavíkurbjarg | |
| Iceland | Krísuvíkurberg | |
| Iceland | Látrabjarg | |
| Iceland | Ritur | |
| Iceland | Skoruvík-Skálabjarg | |
| Iceland | Vestmannaeyjar | |
| Norway | Hjelmsøy | |
| Norway | Makkaurhalvøya (Syltefjordstauran) | |
| Norway | Omgangsstauran | |
| Norway | Runde | |
| Norway | Sværholtklubben | |
| Russia (Asian) | Aniva bay | |
| Russia (Asian) | Bogoslova island | |
| Russia (Asian) | Dobrzhanskogo and Temchun islands | |
| Russia (Asian) | Iony island | |
| Russia (Asian) | Karaginskiy island | |
| Russia (Asian) | Krasnyy cape | |
| Russia (Asian) | Kunashir island | |
| Russia (Asian) | Kuril islands (between Urup and Paramushir) | |
| Russia (Asian) | Nevskoye lake | |
| Russia (Asian) | North-east Sakhalin lagoons | |
| Russia (Asian) | Oria cape | |
| Russia (Asian) | Preobrazheniya island | |
| Russia (Asian) | Rovnyy Island | |
| Russia (Asian) | Stolbovoy island | |
| Russia (Asian) | Tyuleniy island | |
| Russia (Asian) | Vasiliya islands | |
| Russia (Asian) | Verkhoturova island | |
| Svalbard and Jan Mayen Islands (to Norway) | Bjørnøya (Bear Island) | |
| Svalbard and Jan Mayen Islands (to Norway) | Hopen island | |
| Svalbard and Jan Mayen Islands (to Norway) | South Spitsbergen National Park | |
| Sweden | Little Middelgrund | |
| United Kingdom | Caithness Cliffs | |
| United Kingdom | Flamborough Head and Bempton Cliffs | |
| USA | Little Diomede Island and Fairway Rock | |
| USA | Tuxedni Bay | |
| USA | Walrus Islands | |
Habitats & altitude
| Habitat (level 1) | Habitat (level 2) | Importance | Occurrence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Marine Coastal/Supratidal | Sea Cliffs and Rocky Offshore Islands | major | breeding |
| Marine Intertidal | Rocky Shoreline | marginal | breeding |
| Marine Intertidal | Sandy Shoreline and/or Beaches, Sand Bars, Spits, Etc | marginal | breeding |
| Marine Intertidal | Tidepools | marginal | breeding |
| Marine Neritic | Macroalgal/Kelp | suitable | breeding |
| Marine Neritic | Macroalgal/Kelp | suitable | non-breeding |
| Marine Neritic | Pelagic | major | breeding |
| Marine Neritic | Pelagic | major | non-breeding |
| Marine Neritic | Seagrass (Submerged) | suitable | breeding |
| Marine Neritic | Seagrass (Submerged) | suitable | non-breeding |
| Marine Neritic | Subtidal Loose Rock/pebble/gravel | suitable | non-breeding |
| Marine Neritic | Subtidal Loose Rock/pebble/gravel | suitable | breeding |
| Marine Neritic | Subtidal Rock and Rocky Reefs | suitable | non-breeding |
| Marine Neritic | Subtidal Rock and Rocky Reefs | suitable | breeding |
| Marine Neritic | Subtidal Sandy | suitable | breeding |
| Marine Neritic | Subtidal Sandy | suitable | non-breeding |
| Marine Neritic | Subtidal Sandy-Mud | suitable | breeding |
| Marine Neritic | Subtidal Sandy-Mud | suitable | non-breeding |
| Marine Oceanic | Epipelagic (0-200m) | suitable | breeding |
| Marine Oceanic | Epipelagic (0-200m) | suitable | non-breeding |
| Altitude | 0 - 0 m | Occasional altitudinal limits |
Threats & impact
| Threat (level 1) | Threat (level 2) | Impact and Stresses | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Climate change & severe weather | Habitat shifting & alteration | Timing | Scope | Severity | Impact | ||||
| Future | Whole (>90%) | Unknown | Unknown | ||||||
| |||||||||
Utilisation
| Purpose | Primary form used | Life stage used | Source | Scale | Level | Timing |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Food (human) | Whole | Adults and juveniles | Wild | Subsistence, National | Non-trivial | Recent |
| Pets | Whole | Adults and juveniles | Wild | International | Non-trivial | Recent |
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2013) Species factsheet: Rissa tridactyla. Downloaded from
http://www.birdlife.org on 24/05/2013.
Recommended citation for factsheets for more than one species: BirdLife International (2013) IUCN Red List for birds. Downloaded from
http://www.birdlife.org on 24/05/2013.
This information is based upon, and updates, the information published in BirdLife International (2000) Threatened birds of the world. Barcelona and Cambridge, UK: Lynx Edicions and BirdLife International, BirdLife International (2004) Threatened birds of the world 2004 CD-ROM and BirdLife International (2008) Threatened birds of the world 2008 CD-ROM. These sources provide the information for species accounts for the birds on the IUCN Red List.
To provide new information to update this factsheet or to correct any errors, please email BirdLife
To contribute to discussions on the evaluation of the IUCN Red List status of Globally Threatened Birds, please visit BirdLife's Globally Threatened Bird Forums.
| Key facts | |
|---|---|
| Current IUCN Red List category | Least Concern |
| Family | Laridae (Gulls and terns) |
| Species name author | (Linnaeus, 1758) |
| Population size | mature individuals |
| Population trend | Decreasing |
| Distribution size (breeding/resident) | 1,080,000 km2 |
| Country endemic? | No |
| Links to further information | |
| - Summary information on this species | |
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