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Black Skimmer

Rynchops nigerOrder: CHARADRIIFORMESFamily: Gulls, Terns, Skimmers (Laridae)

Black Skimmer Portrait
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Black Skimmer Variations

Black Skimmer: Winter Adult
Default description
Black Skimmer: Winter Adult
Black Skimmer: Breeding Adult
Default description
Black Skimmer: Breeding Adult

General

Black Skimmer: Odd-looking, tern-like bird with black upperparts and white underparts. Bill is bright orange and black-tipped bill with lower mandible longer than upper. Long, slim wings are dark above and silver-gray below. Tail is white with black central feathers. Legs and feet are red. Female is distinctly smaller than male and has smaller bill. Winter adult is similar to breeding adult but has white nape. Juvenile has duller, shorter bill, brown-mottled upperparts, and yellow legs.

Range and Habitat

Black Skimmer: Breeds along Atlantic and Gulf coasts from Massachusetts and Long Island to Florida and Texas. Spends winters north to southern California and Virginia; also in Central and South America. Preferred habitats include sandy or gravelly bars and beaches, shallow bays, estuaries, and salt marsh pools.

Voice Text

"kak-kak-kak", "kur-kur-kur"

Interesting Facts

  • The Black Skimmer is the only bird species in the United States that has a larger lower mandible than upper mandible.
  • At hatching, the two mandibles are equal in length, but by fledging at four weeks, the lower mandible is already nearly 1 cm longer than the upper.
  • Development and increased beach traffic pose a major threat to many of their traditional nesting grounds. Even a slight disturbance in the colony reduces the rate of nesting success.
  • A group of skimmers are collectively known as a "conspiracy", "embezzlement", and "scoop" of skimmers.


Author

Gary Owen Dick

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Range Map for Black Skimmer
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Bird Call Credits: The Macaulay Library of Natural Sounds at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Martyn Stewart, http://www.naturesound.org, Redmond, Washington USA. The reuse or copying of bird calls in this database is strictly forbidden.
Family
Species Rynchops niger
Length18 - 19 Inches
Wingspan46 Inches

Black Skimmer

Black Skimmer: Odd-looking, tern-like bird with black upperparts and white underparts. Bright red bill with black tip, lower mandible longer than upper. Long, slim wings are dark above and silver-gray below. Tail is white with black central feathers. Legs, feet are red. Direct flight.

● Song: "kak-kak-kak", "kur-kur-kur"

● Foraging & Feeding: Black Skimmer: Feeds on fish and shrimp. Forages by flying low with open bill, dipping the lower mandible into the water and slicing through the surface; upon sensing a fish, the bird snaps its upper bill shut, seizing its prey.

● Breeding & nesting: Black Skimmer: Four to five blue or pink eggs with brown, lavender, and gray marks are laid in a simple scrape on the ground or depression in vegetation. Incubation ranges from 21 to 23 days and is carried out by both parents.

● Similar species: Black Skimmer: None in range.

Flight Pattern

Buoyant graceful flight with nearly constant wing beats.
Black Skimmer: Breeding Adult
● Range & Habitat: Black Skimmer: Breeds along Atlantic and Gulf coasts from Massachusetts and Long Island to Florida and Texas. Spends winters north to southern California and Virginia; also in Central and South America. Preferred habitats include sandy or gravelly bars and beaches, shallow bays, estuaries, and salt marsh pools.
BreedingMonogamous, Small colonies
Population
MigrationSome migrate
Weight12.3 Ounces