The kittiwakes (genus Rissa) are two closely related seabird species in the gull family Laridae, the Black-legged Kittiwake (R. tridactyla) and the Red-legged Kittiwake (R. brevirostris). The epithets "Black-legged" and "Red-legged" are used to distinguish the two species in North America, but in Europe, where R. brevirostris is not found, the Black-legged Kittiwake is often known simply as Kittiwake, or more colloquially in some areas as Tickleass or Tickleace. The name is derived from its call, a shrill 'kittee-wa-aaake, kitte-wa-aaake'.