Red-listed. There have been serious declines in UK breeding populations due to food availability.
They spend most of their lives out at sea, soaring over the sea in the pursuit of shoaling sandeels and other fish. Arriving on our cliffsides in the spring months to raise their chicks, their visit is short stayed as they leave for the open ocean again in summer.
Kittiwakes don’t display the same chip shop scavenging behaviour as their relatives. The River Tyne is home to the most inland, urban breeding colonies in the world, where these gulls have substituted cliff edges for window ledges and bridges. There are now over 1,000 breeding pairs along the river.
Head outside and discover fascinating birds each month. Read on for top ID tips, what to listen for, and where to see them.
