Black Skimmer Rynchops niger
Black Skimmer, Cassino, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, August 2004 - click for larger image The Black Skimmer is distributed from the USA through Central America and into most of South America to southern Chile and southern Argentina. It is found mainly on the coast but in South America is also found on the sandbars and beaches of large rivers.
Black Skimmer, Cassino, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, August 2004 - click for larger image There are 3 sub-species and I assume that these photos are of the race R. n. intercedens. There is a lot of migration and it is worth checking particularly the underwings, the width of the white on the trailing edge and the extent of white on the upper tail. R. n. niger, which breeds in North and Central America, has white underwings, a broad white trailing edge and a white tail with a dark central streak. R. n. cinarescens has grey underwings, a narrow white trailing edge and a black upper tail. R. n. intercedens is intermediate between these two.
Black Skimmer, Cassino, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, August 2004 - click for larger image The Black Skimmer is amazing to watch as it feeds on fish which it catches by skimming the surface of the sea or river with its long lower mandible submerged. On hitting a fish, the mandibles close and the beak is bent below the body before the bird flies a bit higher to swallow the fish in flight.
Black Skimmer, Chiloe Island, Chile, November 2005 - click for larger image
Black Skimmer, Chiloe Island, Chile, November 2005 - click for larger image
Black Skimmer, Chiloe Island, Chile, November 2005 - click for larger image
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