Hear a story about a black skimmer.
Hear a black skimmer.

Visit a skimmer colony.


from The Birds of Texas
by John L. Tveten

The world's three skimmer species are the only birds whose lower mandibles are longer than the upper. Of these, only Rynchops niger occurs in the Americas. The black skimmer ranges along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts from Massachusetts to Texas and through Central and South America. It is a year-round resident in Texas but is less common in the winter. Skimmers occasionally wander inland, especially on the winds of summer storms, but most remain along the coastal beaches and bays.

The skimmer is black above and white below. The huge black-tipped red beak is laterally compressed to cut the water like a knife. Juveniles are mottled brown above instead of black, but their profiles remain unmistakable.

The black skimmer breeds in colonies on beaches and islands, often with terns and gulls. The nest is a simple scrape in the sand or shellbank; the three to five white or buffy eggs are heavily spotted with brown and gray. Perfectly camouflaged, they blend with the sand, seashells and beach debris and can be very difficult to see. They hatch in about three weeks.

The young are brooded and fed by both parents on regurgitated fish and crustaceans dropped on the ground. Eventually they accept whole fish, but the lower mandible does not begin to elongate until they are nearly full size.

In defense of their nests, the parents stand their ground or swoop low at an intruder, uttering sharp, barking cries: kak, kak, kak. As the chicks begin to wander from the nest, they hide by scratching hollows in the sand and stretching out flat in them, kicking up sand to partially cover themselves. This may also help to keep them cool in the broiling sun.

Development and increased beach traffic pose a major threat to many of the black skimmer's traditional nesting grounds. Even a slight disturbance in the colony reduces the rate of nesting success. Oil and chemical spills kill both adults and young, and summer storms flood many nests. Occasionally, however, an industrial plant or community helps the species by setting aside and protecting parking lots or other open areas that skimmers have begun to colonize. (See Dow Skimmer Colony.)

Excerpts from The Birds of Texas by John L. Tveten with permission from Shearer Publishing, Inc.

More Bird Facts Skimmers belong to the Laridae family, which includes about 90 species Skimmers, terns and gulls are in this family, and many breed in colonies. The colonies may provide protection against predators. Skimmers "skim" the water with their beaks to catch fish. They have an elegant appearance, as if wearing a black and white tuxedo. Can you find the skimmer birds on our home page?

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