The Red-legged Kittiwake, Rissa brevirostris is a seabird
species in the gull family Laridae. It breeds in the Pribilof,
Bogoslof and Buldir islands of the USA, and the Commander
Islands, Russia. Adults are 35-40cm long, with an 84-92 cm
wingspan. Red-legged Kittiwake parent and chick. 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 grey 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.
Like the Pacific race of Black-legged Kittiwake, the Red-legged
Kittiwake has a well-developed hind toe. As occasional
individual Black-legged Kittiwakes have reddish legs, any
reports of Red-legged away from the subarctic Pacific