Numbers of Black-legged Kittiwakes Rissa tridactyla nesting up to 17 km inland on man-made structures along the River Tyne, northeast England, ranged between 72 and 531 successful nests (those raising at least one well-grown chick) from 1994 to 2009, and 465–755 apparently occupied nests in 2000–09. The number of pairs each year was influenced by the availability of suitable nesting sites, in turn affected by man’s efforts to deter birds from certain buildings. While breeding success was influenced by local summer weather in some years, being suppressed by heavy rainfall, it compared favourably with natural colony sites along the coast of northeast England.

The normal nesting habitat of Black-legged Kittiwakes Rissa tridactyla is on narrow ledges on steep, often high sea cliffs (Cramp & Simmons 1983), but in several parts of their range they have colonised structures such as sheds and houses in coastal villages (Norway: Wagner 1958), abandoned military buildings and an island shipwreck (Alaska: Gill & Hatch 2002), and even offshore gas platforms (The Netherlands, offshore: Camphuysen & de Vreeze 2005; Camphuysen & Leopold 2007). In northeast England, Black-legged Kittiwakes (hereafter ‘Kittiwakes’) have nested successfully on man-made structures along the River Tyne since 1949 (Coulson 1963). At some locations in this urban situation, people have objected to the associated noise and mess and attempts have been made to discourage them nesting on buildings, but despite losing riverside nesting sites through deterrence or redevelopment, Kittiwakes have continued to occupy new locations, sometimes assisted by man. This paper summarises data from a study of the River Tyne Kittiwake population and its breeding success between 1994 and 2009.

Grateful thanks are extended to all of the following: George DeRoche (gateman) and Andrew Davidson (environmental co-ordinator) at McNulty Offshore yard for co-ordinating access to the site, Professor Mike Harris, Dr John Coulson and Gordon Hyslop for comments on early drafts and providing encouragement, Dr John Coulson for providing additional detail concerning historical nesting on the River Tyne, and to Tycho Anker-Nilssen, John Chardine and Martin Heubeck for their extensive comments and suggestions which led to further improvements.

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