U4 OUR RESIDENT BIRDS 



Language. A harsh cry, much like the Black-headed 

 Gull's. 



Habits. In autumn and winter gregarious. It nests 

 either near the sea or on some inland waters. It has an 

 easy, graceful flight, but not nearly so dashing as the 

 Tern's. It swims well, but cannot dive beyond merely 

 plunging itself into the water from some height. Like 

 the Black-headed Gull, it forages in the fields for food 

 in winter. 



Food. Like the Black-headed Gull. 



Nest. April or May. One brood. 



Site. Not often on cliffs ; usually on low -lying islets 

 in the sea or inland lakes. 



Materials. Dry grass, seaweed, turf, heather, and 

 other vegetable debris. 



Eggs. Two or three. Olive-brown, spotted and 

 blotched with deep blackish brown and purplish grey. 

 Variable. 



KITTIWAKE GULL (Rissa tridactyla). 



Widely distributed, and abundant in suitable localities. 

 Essentially a sea-bird, it haunts rocky coast-lines where 

 the cliffs are high and precipitous. In Scotland and 

 Ireland it is very abundant, and in England it nests 

 principally on the Fame Islands, at Flamborough, Isle 

 of Man, Lundy Island, Devonshire and Cornwall, and 

 on the Welsh coast. 



Observation. Note the blackish tips to wings and 

 distinguish from Common Gull. 



Plumage. Mantle dark lavender-grey. Head, neck, 

 rump, upper tail-coverts, tail, and under parts pure 

 white. Scapulars and secondaries tipped with white. 

 First three primaries black. Bill greenish yellow. 

 Legs and feet black. Length 15! in. Female similar. 

 Our smallest Gull (excluding the stragglers), and dis- 

 tinct, at close quarters, on account of the absence of its 





