Measurements
Both Sexes
- Length
- 15.7–19.7 in
40–50 cm - Weight
- 7.5–15.8 oz
212–447 g
Other Names
- Bec à ciseaux (Louisiana), Bec-en-ciseaux noir (French)
- Rayador, Arador, Pico de Tijera (Spanish)
Cool Facts
- The Black Skimmer is the only American representative of the skimmer family. The other two, rather similar, species are the African Skimmer and the Indian Skimmer. All use the same unusual feeding method.
- Although the Black Skimmer is active throughout the day, it is largely crepuscular (active in the dawn and dusk) and even nocturnal. Its use of touch to catch fish lets it be successful in low light or darkness.
- At hatching, the two mandibles of a young Black Skimmer are equal in length, but by fledging at four weeks, the lower mandible is already nearly 1 cm longer than the upper.
Habitat
Shore-line
Food
Fish
Small fish.
Nesting
Nest Placement
Ground
Behavior
Aerial Dive
Flies along just above water surface and drags lower part of bill through water. When it encounters a fish, it tucks its head and grabs the fish as it flies past.
Conservation
Least Concern
Populations were declining in 1970s, but appear to have stabilized in most places.
Credits
- Gochfeld, M. and J. Burger. 1994. Black Skimmer (Rynchops niger).In The Birds of North America, No. 108 (A. Poole and F. Gill, Eds.). Philadelphia: The Academy of Natural Sciences; Washington, D.C.: The American Ornithologists' Union.