A gentle looking, medium-sized gull with a small yellow bill and a dark eye. It has a grey back and is white underneath. Its legs are short and black. In flight the black wing-tips show no white, unlike other gulls, and look as if they have been 'dipped in ink'. The population is declining in some areas, perhaps due to a shortage of sandeels. After breeding birds move out into the Atlantic where they spend the winter.

Like most sea bird colonies around Britain, the Farne Islands have a good population of Kittiwakes, although they are often overlooked by visitors who come for the more famous neighbours.

Both images were taken on the islands where approach to the birds is made easier due to their acceptance of human due to the large numbers of daily visitors.