Black Skimmer, Rynchops niger

Black Skimmer, Rynchops niger. Photograph taken off the beach in Longboat Key, Florida, January 2020.

Black Skimmer, Rynchops niger. Photograph taken in the coastal area of Yavaros, Sonora, November 2018. Photograph and identification courtesy of David F Smith, Alamos, Sonora.

The Black Skimmer, Rynchops niger, is a member of the Laridae Family of Gulls, Terns and Skimmers. They are mid-sized in stature. In Mexico they are found along the coastal areas of the Gulf of Mexico from Texas to the Yucatán Peninsula. From a conservation perspective the Black Skimmer is currently considered to be of Least Concern; however, their overall populations are decreasing. They are found resting on sandbars and beaches in coastal areas protected from open surf including bays, ocean beaches, estuaries, and tidewater flats. They primarily consume small fish, supplementing their diets with small crustaceans.