Black Skimmer (BLSK)
Rynchops niger
Range
Most Black Skimmers are found year-round in South America. Some breed on the East Coast of the U.S. from Massachusetts to Florida; Western populations breed in coastal locations from California to Mexico.
Additional Maps
Identification
This is a medium-sized bird with a blackish top and white underbelly. The bill is bright red at the base and black at the front, and the bill’s shape is unique in its long, knife-like appearance with a lower mandible which extends past the upper. The legs are stubby, the feet are webbed and bright red-orange, and the tail is fairly short and square or slightly forked. The wings are elongated with black feathers on the top and white ones on the underside. Male and female Black Skimmer are similar in coloration, but the male birds are larger on average. This is a relatively quiet species. They’re actively vocal only at breeding colonies, where the typical call is a nasally bark, CAaa, or a dull yap, yup and kew.
Habitat
The Black Skimmer is almost exclusively coastal in the United States and Central America. There are a few exceptions at inland lakes such as Salton Sea, CA, and Palm Beach Co., FL. This bird prefers sparsely vegetated sand, gravel, or shell bars. They also like salt marshes with broad mats of dead vegetation. They have a strong tendency to select colony sites with the presence of other species, especially terns, that give early warning or defense against predators.
Conservation Status
- Listed as Decreasing by Bird Life International
- Listed as Least Concern but Decreasing by the International Union for Conservation of Nature
- Listed as Secure by NatureServe Explorer
Status by State
- Listed as Species of Greatest Conservation Need by the 2015 Delaware Wildlife Action Plan (pg 20)
- Listed as Vulnerable by Florida State Species of Greatest Conservation Need (pg 55)
- Listed as Vulnerable by Georgia State Species of Greatest Conservation Need (pg A-4)
- Listed as Vulnerable by Louisiana State Species of Greatest Conservation Need (pg 177)
- Listed as Bird Species of Greatest Conservation Need by the 2015-2025 Maryland State Wildlife Action Plan (pg 39)
- Listed as a High Priority Species of Greatest Conservation Need by the List of Endangered, Threatened and Special Concern Fish and Wildlife Species of New York State
Threats to Conservation
The population of this species is doing relatively well, but because its diet includes fish, their local population levels can be useful indicators of aquatic ecosystem health. Human intrusion into colonies can be disturbing to Black Skimmers, causing them to flee and return to nest slowly. When the skimmers have not yet laid eggs, the birds may abandon a frequently disturbed colony. Deliberate egg destruction, hunting, and off-road vehicles also pose a threat. There are also concerns about pollution, climate change, and beach modifications.
Funding Opportunities
- Agricultural Conservation Easement Program (ACEP)
- America the Beautiful Challenge
- Carolina Bird Club Conservation Grants
- Community Forest Program
- ConocoPhillips Partnership for Public and Private Land Managers
- Conservation Nation Grant Program
- Conservation Partners Legacy Grant Program
- Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP)
- Florida’s State Wildlife Grants Program
- Gulf Coast Conservation Grants Program
- Land Trust Bird Conservation Initiative Small Grant Program
- Land and Water Conservation Fund Grant Program
- National Coastal Resilience Fund
- National Coastal Wetlands Conservation Grants
- NOAA Office for Coastal Management: Funding Opportunities
- North American Wetlands Conservation
- Northeast/Mid-Atlantic Project Funding Resources
- NRCS Wetland Mitigation Banking Program
- Partners for Fish and Wildlife
- Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP)
- Texas State Wildlife Grants
- The Lawrence Foundation- Environmental Grants
- The Migratory Bird Program
- Tribal Wildlife Grants
- Wildlife Habitat Grant Program