Black Skimmer (Rynchops niger)

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A Field Guide to Eastern Birds. by Roger Tory Peterson.

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Color Photographs: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Black Skimmer (Rynchops niger)

Identification: Length from tip of bill to tip of tail 18 inches.

Adult: Crown of head, back and upper side of wings black. Lower half of head, neck, and undersides white. Bill large, bulky, orange-red at the base, shading to black in its outer half. Upper mandible of the bill about one-third shorter and much smaller than the lower mandible. Underside of wing dull white shading to black at its apex. Feet red-orange.

Immature: Similar in form to the adult, but brown above spotted with white. Bill smaller.

Similar Species:  The Black Skimmer, with its weird bill and black and white coloration, is unmistakable.

Breeding Range (see map below): The Black Skimmer breeds along the Atlantic and Gulf Coasts of the United States.

Overwintering Range:  Southern California and southern Florida, southward into the American tropics.

Habitat: The Black Skimmer breeds along the coastal areas of the United States, primarily on sandbars and beaches. It feeds in coastal bays and estuaries.

Food: Small fish and marine invertebrates.

Behavior: This remarkable species with its strange bill soars over the surface of the water with its enlarged lower mandible cutting the water and scooping small fish and invertebrates into its mouth. The species may also be found wading is small groups through the water jabbing at animals in the water. The Black Skimmer is commonly seen in small flocks that fly in unison flashing their white and black upper and lower surfaces as a group. The voice is a series of barking sounds.

Reproduction:  The clutch consists of 3 or 4 brown-spotted tan eggs. The eggs are laid on sand, usually among clumps of grass or shell fragments.