116 BIRDS OF ICELAND 



Rissa tridactyla (Linn.). Kittiwake. 



Native names : ' Rita/ ' Ritsa/ ' Skegla.' 



A summer visitor in great numbers, probably as 

 great as of all other Laridse put together, if the Arctic 

 Tern be excepted. It arrives in Iceland about the 

 middle of March and leaves at the end of September. 

 Many of the individuals are in immature dress, this 

 species requiring two, or more, years to arrive at 

 maturity. Doubtless some of the birds in immature 

 dress breed. The nest is placed on a cliff ledge, or on 

 the turf of a marine islet, and consists of a few bents 

 of dead grass, or scraps of seaweed. The eggs (two, 

 sometimes three) are light in ground colour, varying 

 from light grey to stone buff, occasionally with an 

 olive tinge, and are blotched and mottled with blue 

 grey and umber brown. Length under 1\ inches. 



The Kittiwake may be distinguished from all other 

 European gulls by the absence of a hind toe, though 

 traces of this organ are sometimes found on one, or 

 both feet. Head, neck, tail, and underparts white ; 

 mantle grey ; wings (flight- feathers) with a good deal 

 of black; legs and feet black. Length 15 J inches, 

 wing 12 inches. Immature birds have a grey nape, 

 blackish shoulder, and black or sooty tip to the 

 tail. 



The food consists of fish, Crustacea, and any small 

 marine creatures. 



