kittiwake

Bird of the genus Rissa, in the gull family Laridae, order Charadriiformes. The chief characteristic which distinguishes the kittiwakes from the rest of the gulls is the rudimentary condition or absence of the hind toe. There are two species, R. tridactyla, with dark brown feet and white under the wing-coverts, and R. brevirostris, with vermilion-coloured feet and grey under the wing-coverts. The kittiwake feeds mainly on fish, which it dives for. It is found around northern and arctic coasts.