Black-legged Kittiwake vs Red-legged Kittiwake

Black-legged Kittiwake

Rissa tridactyla

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The red-legged kittiwake is the only other species in the genus Rissa and can be differentiated from its counterpart by its red legs, as the name suggests. The head of the red-legged kittiwake is slightly smaller and bears a shorter bill. The chicks of the Pacific black-legged kittiwake and red-legged kittiwake cannot be distinguished during their youngest downy phase. Voice: The kittiwake is named after its call that resembles a long "kit-ti-wake". Apart from their typical call, kittiwakes have a wide array of calls. Their greeting call is used by the two members of a pair when meeting at the nest after an absence of one or both members. Before and during copulation, the female will often call by making a series of short high pitched "squeak".

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Recorded by Sonothèque ADVL · Call, duet · Fréhel, Cotes-d'Armor, Brittany, France · CC0

Photo: Hobbyfotowiki · CC0

Red-legged Kittiwake

Rissa brevirostris

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The red-legged kittiwake is a very localised subarctic Pacific species. Apart from the distinguishing feature implicit in its name, it is very similar to its better-known relative, the black-legged kittiwake; other differences include the shorter bill, larger eyes, a larger, rounder head, and darker gray wings, and in the juveniles, which barely differ from the adults, lacking the black tail band and "W" across the wings of juvenile black-legged kittiwakes. Juveniles take three years to reach maturity.

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: terathopius · CC BY 4.0

Photos and recordings are credited to their authors under the licence shown. Full profiles: Black-legged Kittiwake and Red-legged Kittiwake.