• 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.

Difference between revisions of "Black Skimmer" - BirdForum Opus

Page Discussion
View source History
m (→‎External Links: updated VSearch and GSearch)
 
(18 intermediate revisions by 7 users not shown)
Line 1: Line 1:
−
;Rynchops niger
+
[[Image:609-06310fg Black Skimmer.jpg|thumb|550px|right|Adult, breeding plumage<br />Photo &copy; by {{user|bobsofpa|bobsofpa}}<br />Fort Island Gulf Beach, Crystal River, [[Florida]], 25 March 2009 ]]
−
[[Image:Black_Skimmer.jpg|thumb|550px|right|Photo by Nick Richter]]
+
;[[:Category:Rynchops|Rynchops]] niger
−
==Description==
 
−
</i><p>
 
 
==Identification: ==
 
==Identification: ==
−
18" (46 cm). Black above, white below, with red legs. Bill red with black tip, laterally compressed, blade-like. Unique among birds in having lower mandible much longer (about one-third) than the upper. Immature mottled above, with shorter bill.
+
18" (46 cm)
 +
*Black above
 +
*White below
 +
*Red legs
 +
*Bill red with black tip like a blade. Lower mandible much longer, than the upper<br />
 +
'''Immature''' mottled upper appearance, with shorter bill.
 +
[[Image:081 low Black Skimmer juvenile.jpg|thumb|350px|right|Juvenile<br />Photo &copy; by {{user|Celso+Paris|Celso Paris}}<br />Peruíbe, Sao Paulo, [[Brazil]], November 2019]]
 +
==Distribution==
 +
Breeds along Atlantic and Gulf coasts from [[Massachusetts]] and Long Island to [[Florida]] and [[Texas]]. Winters north to southern [[California]] and [[Virginia]]. Also in American tropics.
  
−
<p>
+
==Taxonomy==
−
==Habitat: ==
+
====Subspecies====
 +
[[Image:Black_Skimmer_juvie_0646_by_STEFFRO1.jpg|thumb|350px|right|Juvenile<br />Photo &copy; by {{user|STEFFRO1|STEFFRO1}}<br />Huntington Beach State Park, [[South Carolina]], 29 August 2013]]
 +
There are 3 subspecies<sup>[[#References|[1]]]</sup>:
 +
*''R. n. niger '':
 +
:*Coastal [[US]] and [[Mexico]]; winters to [[Panama]]
 +
*''R. n. cinerascens'':
 +
:*Coasts and rivers of northern [[South America]] to [[Bolivia]] and north-western [[Argentina]]
 +
*''R. n. intercedens'':
 +
:*Eastern [[Brazil]] to [[Paraguay]], [[Uruguay]] and north-eastern [[Argentina]]
 +
==Habitat==
 
Breeds chiefly on sandbars and beaches; feeds in shallow bays, inlets, and estuaries.
 
Breeds chiefly on sandbars and beaches; feeds in shallow bays, inlets, and estuaries.
−
 
+
==Behaviour==
−
<p>
+
Tight flocks can be seen simultaneously wheeling in one direction and then another.
−
==Nesting: ==
+
====Diet====
 +
[[Image:Black_Skimmer.jpg|thumb|350px|right|Typical feeding behavior<br />Photo &copy; by {{user|Nick+Richter|Nick Richter}}<br />San Diego Creek, Irvine,  [[California]], 21 May 2004]]
 +
They are mainly surface skimmers (hence the name) tip of the lower mandible cuts through the water. They will also wade in shallow water, jabbing at the fish.
 +
====Breeding====
 
3 or 4 brown-blotched buff eggs on bare sand, usually among shell fragments and scattered grass clumps.
 
3 or 4 brown-blotched buff eggs on bare sand, usually among shell fragments and scattered grass clumps.
  
−
<p>
+
They are particularly attracted to the newly-dredged sand-fill areas, which may contain colonies of up to 200 pairs. These sites will be abandoned as soon as too much grass appears.
−
==Range: ==
+
====Vocalisation====
−
Breeds along Atlantic and Gulf coasts from Massachusetts and Long Island to Florida and Texas. Winters north to southern California and Virginia. Also in American tropics.
 
−
 
 
−
<p>
 
−
==Voice: ==
 
 
Short barking notes.
 
Short barking notes.
 +
==References==
 +
#{{Ref-Clements6thAug19}}#Gochfeld, M. and J. Burger (1994). Black Skimmer (''Rynchops niger''), version 2.0. In The Birds of North America (A. F. Poole and F. B. Gill, Editors). Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, NY, USA. https://doi.org/10.2173/bna.108
 +
#Lefevre, K. L. (2018). Black Skimmer (''Rynchops niger''), version 1.0. In Neotropical Birds Online (T. S. Schulenberg, Editor). Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, NY, USA. https://doi.org/10.2173/nb.blkski.01
 +
#Zusi, R.L. & Garcia, E.F.J. (2020). Black Skimmer (''Rynchops niger''). In: del Hoyo, J., Elliott, A., Sargatal, J., Christie, D.A. & de Juana, E. (eds.). Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona. (retrieved from https://www.hbw.com/node/54056 on 5 February 2020).
 +
{{ref}}
  
−
<p>
 
−
==Discussion: ==
 
−
This extraordinary bird, especially when in flight, can hardly fail to impress even the most casual observer. Usually only one or two are seen as they skim the surface for fish, with the tip of the lower mandible cutting through the water. They also wade in shallow water, jabbing at the fish scattering before them. Compact flocks may be seen flying in unison, wheeling in one direction and then another -- showing first the jet black of the wings, then the gleaming white of the underparts. They are especially attracted to the sand fill of newly dredged areas; such places sometimes contain colonies of up to 200 pairs. These sites are usually temporary, abandoned as soon as too much grass appears.</i>
 
−
==Identification==
 
−
Photographed in Irvine, California.
 
 
==External Links==
 
==External Links==
−
{{GSearch|Rynchops+niger}}  
+
*[http://www.arthurgrosset.com/sabirds/blackskimmer.html Arthur Grosset's Birds]
 +
<br />
 +
{{GSearch|"Rynchops niger" {{!}} "Black Skimmer"}}
 +
<br />
 +
{{VSearch|"Rynchops niger" {{!}} "Black Skimmer"}}
 +
{{GS-checked}}1
 +
<br />
 +
<br />
  
−
[[Category:Birds]]
+
[[Category:Birds]] [[Category:Rynchops]] [[Category:Videos]]

Latest revision as of 11:39, 26 June 2023

Adult, breeding plumage
Photo © by bobsofpa
Fort Island Gulf Beach, Crystal River, Florida, 25 March 2009
Rynchops niger

Identification:

18" (46 cm)

  • Black above
  • White below
  • Red legs
  • Bill red with black tip like a blade. Lower mandible much longer, than the upper

Immature mottled upper appearance, with shorter bill.

Juvenile
Photo © by Celso Paris
Peruíbe, Sao Paulo, Brazil, November 2019

Distribution

Breeds along Atlantic and Gulf coasts from Massachusetts and Long Island to Florida and Texas. Winters north to southern California and Virginia. Also in American tropics.

Taxonomy

Subspecies

Juvenile
Photo © by STEFFRO1
Huntington Beach State Park, South Carolina, 29 August 2013

There are 3 subspecies[1]:

  • R. n. niger :
  • R. n. cinerascens:
  • R. n. intercedens:

Habitat

Breeds chiefly on sandbars and beaches; feeds in shallow bays, inlets, and estuaries.

Behaviour

Tight flocks can be seen simultaneously wheeling in one direction and then another.

Diet

Typical feeding behavior
Photo © by Nick Richter
San Diego Creek, Irvine, California, 21 May 2004

They are mainly surface skimmers (hence the name) tip of the lower mandible cuts through the water. They will also wade in shallow water, jabbing at the fish.

Breeding

3 or 4 brown-blotched buff eggs on bare sand, usually among shell fragments and scattered grass clumps.

They are particularly attracted to the newly-dredged sand-fill areas, which may contain colonies of up to 200 pairs. These sites will be abandoned as soon as too much grass appears.

Vocalisation

Short barking notes.

References

  1. Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, S. M. Billerman, T. A. Fredericks, B. L. Sullivan, and C. L. Wood. 2019. The eBird/Clements Checklist of Birds of the World: v2019. Downloaded from http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/
  2. Gochfeld, M. and J. Burger (1994). Black Skimmer (Rynchops niger), version 2.0. In The Birds of North America (A. F. Poole and F. B. Gill, Editors). Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, NY, USA. https://doi.org/10.2173/bna.108
  3. Lefevre, K. L. (2018). Black Skimmer (Rynchops niger), version 1.0. In Neotropical Birds Online (T. S. Schulenberg, Editor). Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, NY, USA. https://doi.org/10.2173/nb.blkski.01
  4. Zusi, R.L. & Garcia, E.F.J. (2020). Black Skimmer (Rynchops niger). In: del Hoyo, J., Elliott, A., Sargatal, J., Christie, D.A. & de Juana, E. (eds.). Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona. (retrieved from https://www.hbw.com/node/54056 on 5 February 2020).

Recommended Citation

External Links



GSearch checked for 2020 platform.1

Retrieved from ‘https://www.birdforum.net/wiki/index.php?title=Black_Skimmer&oldid=265913’
Back
Top