SKIMMERS 



73 



BLACK SKIMMER 

 Rynchops nigra Liiiihciix 



A. O. U. Number 80 ^cc ( ulor I'late 7 



Other Names. — Cutwater; Scissorhill : Sliearwater ; 

 Storm Gull. 



General Description. — Length, i6 to _'ii inches. 

 Color aliove. black; below, white. 



Color. — Crown, sides of head to below eyes, back of 

 neck, and entire up/'cr parts, glossy black ; forehead, 

 sides of head below eyes, sides of neck, and whole 

 under jiarts, pure white with a rosy tint in sj'ring; tips 

 of inner four primaries and secondaries, white ; tail, 

 white, the central feathers black; basal half of bill, 



carmine, rest black; feet, carmine; iris, brown. 

 Uow.Nv Voung: Sand-colored. 



Nest and Eggs. — Eggs : Deposited on the bare sand ; 

 4, white to pale buff, spotted and blotched with dark 

 browns and black and some lavender. 



Distribution. — Tropical and temperate America ; 

 strictly maritime; breeds from Virginia (formerly New 

 Jersey) to the Gulf coast and Texas; rarely north to 

 the Bay of Fundy ; winters from the Gulf coast to 

 Colima, Me.xico, and Costa Rica; casual in West Indies. 



Five species of the .Skiniiiier fimiih- inhabit 

 the warmer portions of the earth. ( )ne of these, 

 the Black Skimmer, reaches the shores of the 

 United States and is distributed along the Gulf 

 of Mexico from Texas to Key West, and tiorth- 

 ward ailing- the Atlantic coast to Virginia. It 

 is a large, long-winged bird, black above and 

 white beneath. The bill of this bird is most 

 unique, both mandibles being thin and flat like 

 a knife-blade, and come together edgewise, and 

 not like a duck's bill. The under one is an inch 

 or more longer than the upper, and this is pushed 

 forward under the surface of the water as the 

 Skimmer with open mouth flies along the sea 



looking for the small marine animal-life upon 

 which it feeds. In search of food they often 

 follow along the itarrow creeks through the 

 marshes and at times enter the outer bays and 

 river-mouths. They never go inland, nor do 

 thev travel very far to sea. W hen Skimmers 

 first appear in spring along our sotithern beaches 

 they come in flocks of hundreds or even thou- 

 sands. -Vt this season they are very restless and 

 the flocks are continually taking flight from one 

 beach or bar to another, and their shouts fairly 

 drown the roar of the surf. 



Thev are more or less gregarious throughout 

 the stimmer, and assemble in colonies to rear their 



"A' 





V 



X 



Ese**" 



,>^„r**?- 



^ 



Photograph by H. K. .1-1. 



^y of Outing Publishing Co. 



BLACK SKIMMERS 

 On Battledore Island, Louisiana 



