Head to head
Black-legged Kittiwake vs Herring Gull
The black-legged kittiwake and herring gull are both gulls of the Northern Hemisphere, but one lives almost entirely at sea while the other has become a familiar sight on land.
| Black-legged Kittiwake | Herring Gull | |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific name | Rissa tridactyla | Larus argentatus |
| Typical lifestyle | Pelagic, mostly at sea | Coastal, land-scavenging |
| Diet | Carnivore, mainly fish | Omnivore, highly varied |
| Nesting site | Narrow cliff ledges | Ground, rooftops |
| Scavenging on land | Rare | Frequent |
| Conservation status | Vulnerable | Least Concern |
| Population trend | Decreasing | Decreasing |
| Habitat | Ocean, coastal | Coastal, grassland |
Black-legged Kittiwake vs Herring Gull: common questions
Which spends more time at sea, the black-legged kittiwake or the herring gull?
The black-legged kittiwake spends far more time at sea, remaining out on the open ocean for most of the year and returning to land only to breed, while the herring gull remains much more closely associated with land and coastal scavenging year-round.
Does the black-legged kittiwake scavenge like the herring gull?
Not really, since this species feeds mainly on fish and small marine invertebrates caught at the ocean surface, rarely scavenging on land the way the herring gull commonly does around bins, streets, and landfill sites.
Why is the black-legged kittiwake more threatened than the herring gull?
The black-legged kittiwake has declined significantly at many colonies due to shifts in fish availability linked to changing ocean conditions, a specialised dependence on marine food sources that leaves it more vulnerable than the more adaptable, omnivorous herring gull.