kittiwake

American  

[kit-ee-weyk] / ˈkɪt iˌweɪk /

noun

1. either of two small, pearl-gray gulls of the genus Rissa, the black-legged R. tridactyla of the North Atlantic and the red-legged and red-billed R. brevirostris, of the Bering Sea, both nesting on narrow cliff ledges and having a rudimentary hind toe.

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kittiwake British  

/ ˈkɪtɪˌweɪk /

noun

1. either of two oceanic gulls of the genus Rissa, esp R. tridactyla, having a white plumage with pale grey black-tipped wings and a square-cut tail

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Etymology

Origin of kittiwake

First recorded in 1655–65; imitative

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

kittiwake

Birds speaking in dialects of kittiwake and tern.

From Scientific American ● Nov. 11, 2021

The kittiwake population of Wales has declined by 35% since 1986.

From BBC ● Oct. 30, 2021

Now, however, kittiwake numbers are in decline again and this time the causes are less visible, but no less of human fault.

From The Guardian ● Oct. 7, 2018

Albatross, kittiwake, gannet: the extraordinary physiology and navigational capacity of seabirds have inspired scientists and poets for centuries.

From Nature ● Jun. 27, 2017

And this is your boat-house, eh?” he added, when, followed by his boat’s crew, they reached sea level and gazed into the great niche in which the kittiwake was securely moored.

From The Lost Middy Being the Secret of the Smugglers' Gap by Wood, Stanley L.