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Black Skimmer

Rynchops niger

Photo by LivanEscudero
Published on Project Noah
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27.961, -82.8308

Field Notes

Habitat:

barrier islands and ocean beaches

Notes:

After a week or so of constant rainy days and a heavy downpour the previous night, large pools of rain water had formed along the beach. The shorebirds seemed to be taking advantage of the fresh water. This Black Skimmer for example couldn't pass up the opportunity of a bath. Dip, rinse, repeat; preen, air-dry, and we are off.

Reference Links:

Black Skimmer Overview, All About Birds, Cornell Lab of Ornithology

Species ID Suggestions

Comments (10)
LivanEscudero
Thank you all, it’s always a pleasure photographing nature and sharing it here with all of you. Check out this other spotting to se them in action. https://www.projectnoah.org/spottings/1664681567
Neil Ross
Great spotting. Congratulations, Livan.
Tukup
Congratulations on your SOTW Livan. Great series.
AntónioGinjaGinja
Congratulations Livan , your Black Skimmer, Rynchops niger, has been voted Project Noah’s Spotting of the Week,by the Ranger team! Today’s Spotting of the Week is this gorgeous Black Skimmer, Rynchops niger, spotted by LivanEscudero! This bird was beautifully photographed bathing itself in pools of rain along the coast outside Clearwater, Florida. Black skimmers love to both play and feed in coastal waters and sandbars. They are known to “skim” the water with the lower mandible right below the water surface. When their lower mandible feels contact with a fish, it snaps shut. Interestingly, this unique bird species finds food by touch, not by sight. They primarily feed on small fish but will also eat small crustaceans, molluscs and insects. Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/projectnoah/photos/a.10150595289465603/10161998028600603/?type=3&eid=ARCruunBX1GE57Lv7cU0G1ZD9lBlzuaSgp-FmAjLE3RMYURbCD6WBOl4q0CwKm_cDXnN2by6wA3yg70e&__xts__%5B0%5D=68.ARA5cMW9Q5c0lzMGlJwMpVd6BtJb9Ea80vA0wGirXGKnaVucbhYtM8iU_CiFCUXIzXnBIGW-dx4W_tg0f8TKte68hV8KXJEweoqIHwaEpbj2jj_rZh0Mz2MubaWEvi6RVMoMmR2t0PYjv5h85da7uIh7zPzxoKKn8ZXHIevv7TJeuNgiFZ9PUl1d064yO0rj2GQHmqBydOVHunS_VCJibHK1opRKRZ93n3iv7-sYqKBjoCvm6RmyqtaD7VSstacgwL4nLq5IJYAXJl3pGIJHpCbKQEHRHcU76drCSFFMkZ0Xc2vyBdGnjZs0RTBN3f0VBYFmkanQNMroHmtZaDZ9InQIUjhWAB0QKA&__tn__=EHH-R Twitter: https://twitter.com/projectnoah/status/1143606698919235584
LivanEscudero
Appreciated. It was fun capturing these guys. I love that to our eyes they look to have a very awkward bird shape, specially that weird bill, yet when you see them in action they are perfectly adapted for what they do.
AshleyT
Your spotting has been nominated for the Spotting of the Week. The winner will be chosen by the Project Noah Rangers based on a combination of factors including: uniqueness of the shot, status of the organism (for example, rare or endangered), quality of the information provided in the habitat and description sections. There is a subjective element, of course; the spotting with the highest number of Ranger votes is chosen. Congratulations on being nominated!

Spotted for Missions

Mission
Birds of the Southeast U.S.
Mission
Birds of the World
Mission
Florida's Flora & Fauna
Photographed
PublishedJune 21, 2019

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