Black Skimmer(Rynchops niger)
Locally common along the eastern US coast and the southern California coast, Black Skimmers are the only North American bird species whose lower bill is much larger and longer than the upper bill.
Black Skimmer (Rynchops niger)Collier Co., FL1 Jan 2009Sharing the beach with a Laughing Gull head (left rear) and Ring-billed Gull head (left front).
Black Skimmer (Rynchops niger)Collier Co., FL2 Jan 2004Black Skimmer (back) with a Royal Tern in the front. These birds are amazingly "tame" or habituated to people on the beaches at Marco Island, as I walked right up to them and took this photo at only about 3X zoom from about 8 feet away.
Black Skimmer (Rynchops niger)Bolivar Flats, Galveston Co., TX15 Jan 2018
Black Skimmers (Rynchops niger)Collier Co., FL29 Dec 2010With Royal Terns and Sanderlings
Created on ... January 24, 2004 | jeffpippen9@gmail.com