Black Skimmer
Black Skimmer
Rynchops niger
Laridae - Gulls, Terns, and Skimmers
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The Black Skimmer is a striking black‑and‑white seabird with a long, laterally compressed bill in which the lower mandible is significantly longer than the upper. Its red‑and‑black bill, red legs, and cat‑like vertical pupils make it unique among birds.
Species eBird Ecuador Link: Black Skimmer
@ Napo River, Sucumbíos Province, Ecuador - 10/30/2025
In Ecuador, Black Skimmers occur along major rivers of the Amazon Basin and seasonally along the Pacific coast. They frequent sandbars, river channels, estuaries, and coastal lagoons, especially during periods of low water.
The species is listed as Least Concern, with populations distributed from North America to Argentina. However, local declines occur where river systems are altered or nesting beaches are disturbed.
@ Napo River, Sucumbíos Province, Ecuador - 10/30/2025
Black Skimmers feed by flying low over water with the lower mandible slicing the surface to catch fish by touch—a feeding method unique among birds. Chicks hatch with equal‑length mandibles, which quickly grow into the specialized adult form.
@ San Joaquin Wildlife Sanctuary, Orange County, California
@ San Joaquin Wildlife Sanctuary, Orange County, California
@ Bay Access, north of the South Padre Island Convention Center, TX
@ Bay Access, north of the South Padre Island Convention Center, TX
@ Bay Access, north of the South Padre Island Convention Center, TX
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