kittiwake
1
9.9
A small grey sea bird that nests on cliffs
- noun
- /ˈkɪtiˌweɪk/
- UK
:
gaviota
- During the summer, the cliffs are filled with kittiwakes raising their chicks in the sunlight.
- legged kittiwakes
- red-legged kittiwakes
- puffins and kittiwakes
Examples
-
Kittiwake!
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Found there are also Kittiwake gulls, Common murres, Razorbills, Leach's storm petrels, and Herring gulls, among other species.
Academic text (2010) -
As we hiked along the cliffs, we spotted a colony of kittiwakes nesting in the rocky crevices.
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The kittiwake is known for its striking pearl-grey plumage and its distinctive calls.
Synonyms
gull
vskittiwake
28
2.0
A medium to large white seabird with long pointed wings and short legs
is a smaller grey coastal species that nests on cliffs
sea gull
vskittiwake
4
1.0
A mostly white bird with long wings that lives near the sea or lakes
is more narrowly a small northern cliff-nesting grey species
9.9
A small seabird like a gull called a kittiwake
is the common species name used in ordinary speech
Surface Forms
kittiwake singular
kittiwakes plural
Etymology
The word kittiwake comes from the bird's own call, which people heard as 'kittee-waak', and that sound became its name. That's why the name fits this small grey gull that nests on cliffs.