Black Skimmer

The Black Skimmer is one of the most distinctive coastal birds of the Americas, instantly recognizable by its unique feeding technique and oversized, asymmetric bill. It is the only skimmer species found in the New World, ranging along coasts and rivers from the United States to South America.

Appearance

Adults have glossy black upperparts, crisp white underparts and forehead, and a large, laterally compressed bill that is bright red-orange at the base and black at the tip, with the lower mandible distinctly longer than the upper. The legs are short and red-orange.

Key field marks

• Bill with lower mandible longer than the upper, unique among North American birds
• Sharp black-and-white plumage pattern
• Red-orange bill base and legs
• Low, skimming flight just above the water surface while feeding

Similar species

No other bird in its range shares the skimmer's unique bill shape, making adults unmistakable. In silhouette, resting skimmers can suggest a large tern, but the oversized, drooping-looking bill quickly separates it from any tern species.

Habitat and range

Black Skimmers breed on open sandy or shelly beaches, sandbars, and dredge-spoil islands along the Atlantic, Gulf, and Pacific coasts of the Americas, as well as on some large rivers and lagoons. Their range extends from the eastern and southern United States through Central America to central Argentina and Chile.

Migration

Northern populations migrate south for the winter to the Gulf Coast, Caribbean, and northern South America, while southern populations may be resident or make shorter movements. Coastal development and beach disturbance are significant threats to nesting colonies.

Behavior

Black Skimmers feed almost exclusively by flying low and fast over calm water with the lower mandible slicing through the surface; when it contacts a fish, the bill snaps shut instantly. They often feed at dusk, dawn, or even at night, when calmer water and less glare make skimming more effective.

Voice

The call is a distinctive nasal, barking "kip" or "yip," often given in flight, especially over breeding colonies.

Nesting and breeding

Skimmers nest colonially in shallow scrapes on open sand or shell beaches, often alongside terns. They typically lay three to five eggs, and chicks are camouflaged and mobile soon after hatching, though they depend on their parents for food until their mandibles grow to functional skimming length.