• Welcome to BirdForum, the internet's largest birding community with thousands of members from all over the world. The forums are dedicated to wild birds, birding, binoculars and equipment and all that goes with it.

    Please register for an account to take part in the discussions in the forum, post your pictures in the gallery and more.
ZEISS DTI thermal imaging cameras. For more discoveries at night, and during the day.
Skimmer not skimming
Doc Duck

Skimmer not skimming (Rynchops niger)

I was thrilled with yet another lifer species that day - Black Skimmers. Most that I saw were bathing in a small lagoon. Then one of them took off and all of us there had our cameras at the ready to catch him skimming, but he circled around for a while, then landed again. When we looked at our shots, we realized why. His lower mandible was broken off. One of the birders there speculated that perhaps he'd been skimming and struck a rock. It was a sad moment, as we suspected this bird is pretty much doomed to starve to death.
Click to expand...
Habitat
wetland preserve
Location
Forsythe, NJ
Date taken
09 Sept 2017
Scientific name
Rynchops niger
Equipment used
D90, 100-400
delia todd
Staff member
Opus Editor
Supporter
Oh no!!! What a shame for the poor guy!!!

You've a great picture of him in flight Ann - very well done lass.
 
Muso
Great picture, but sad story. A Skimmer that can't. Felt similarly with the Guillemot pic I posted recently - I shouldn't have been able to get that close, so thought it was injured, however I was clearly making the situation worse, so moved away. It was gone next time I checked, but not convinced it was by choice. Nature is wonderful, but not necessarily kind.
 
Kits
Well done on your lifer though it comes with a sad story.
 

Media information

Category
North America
Added by
Doc Duck
Date added
View count
227
Comment count
10

Share this media

Back
Top