Black Skimmer

The black skimmer (Rynchops niger) is a tern -like seabird, one of three similar bird species in the skimmer genus Rynchops in the gull family Laridae. It breeds in North and South America. Aug 16, 2014 · <p>A long-winged bird with stark black-and-white plumage, the Black Skimmer has a unique grace as it forages in flight. Skimmers feed by opening the bill and dropping the long, narrow. Strictly coastal in most areas of North America, Black Skimmers are often seen resting on sandbars and beaches. Unlike most birds, their eyes have vertical pupils, narrowed to slits to cut the glare of water. Watching the strikingly-colored black skimmer forage for food--flying low horizontally while its highly sensitive lower jaw sluices through the water--is one of the natural world's more remarkable sights. Most Black Skimmers are found year-round in South America. Some breed on the East Coast of the U.S. from Massachusetts to Florida; Western populations breed in coastal locations from California to.

The black skimmer is a seabird with defining physical characteristics that make it easily distinguishable from others. The key physical feature of the skimmer is its large red and black bill. Sep 8, 2025 · The Black Skimmer is a very unusual shorebird – in part because of its exceptionally long, knife-like lower bill and much shorter, slightly-curved upper bill. The knife-like lower bill is for slicing. Aug 14, 2025 · You’re scanning the horizon, and suddenly, you spot a distinctive bird with a uniquely shaped bill, the Black Skimmer. This medium-sized ternlike seabird is a master of efficiency, using its.