American skimmer, Razor-billed shearwater, Scissorbill
English:
The black skimmer (Rynchops niger ) is a tern-like seabird, one of three similar birds species in the skimmer genus Rynchops in the gull family Laridae. It breeds in North and South America. Northern populations winter in the warmer waters of the Caribbean and the tropical and subtropical Pacific coasts, but the South American races make only shorter movements in response to annual floods which extend their feeding areas in the river shallows.
Di
DiurnalDiurnal animals are active during the daytime, with a period of sleeping or other inactivity at night. The timing of activity by an animal depends ...
No
NocturnalNocturnality is an animal behavior characterized by being active during the night and sleeping during the day. The common adjective is "nocturnal",...
Cr
CrepuscularCrepuscular animals are those that are active primarily during twilight (that is, the periods of dawn and dusk). This is distinguished from diurnal...
Ca
CarnivoreA carnivore meaning 'meat eater' is an organism that derives its energy and nutrient requirements from a diet consisting mainly or exclusively of a...
Pi
PiscivoresA piscivore is a carnivorous animal that eats primarily fish. Piscivorous is equivalent to the Greek-derived word ichthyophagous. Fish were the die...
Se
SeabirdSeabirds (also known as marine birds) are birds that are adapted to life within the marine environment. While seabirds vary greatly in lifestyle, b...
Pr
PrecocialPrecocial species are those in which the young are relatively mature and mobile from the moment of birth or hatching. Precocial species are normall...
Te
TerrestrialTerrestrial animals are animals that live predominantly or entirely on land (e.g., cats, ants, snails), as compared with aquatic animals, which liv...
Te
TerritorialA territory is a sociographical area that which an animal consistently defends against the conspecific competition (or, occasionally, against anima...
Co
CongregatoryCongregatory animals tend to gather in large numbers in specific areas as breeding colonies, for feeding, or for resting.
Oviparous animals are female animals that lay their eggs, with little or no other embryonic development within the mother. This is the reproductive...
Soaring birds can maintain flight without wing flapping, using rising air currents. Many gliding birds are able to "lock" their extended wings by m...
Seabirds (also known as marine birds) are birds that are adapted to life within the marine environment. While seabirds vary greatly in lifestyle, b...
Mo
MonogamyMonogamy is a form of relationship in which both the male and the female has only one partner. This pair may cohabitate in an area or territory for...
So
SocialFl
FlockingFlocking birds are those that tend to gather to forage or travel collectively. Avian flocks are typically associated with migration. Flocking also ...
Co
ColonialColonial animals live in large aggregations composed of two or more conspecific individuals in close association with or connected to, one another....
Mi
MigratingAnimal migration is the relatively long-distance movement of individual animals, usually on a seasonal basis. It is the most common form of migrati...
B
starts withBlack skimmers are large tern-like seabirds that can be found in the Americas. Adults in breeding plumage have a black crown, nape and upper body. The forehead and underparts are white. The upper wings are black with white on the rear edge, and the tail and rump are dark grey with white edges. Non-breeding adults have paler and browner upperparts, and a white nape collar. Immature birds have brown upperparts with white feather tips and fringes. The underparts and forehead are white, and the underwings as the adult.
Black skimmers breed in North and South America. Northern populations winter in the warmer waters of the Caribbean and the tropical and subtropical Pacific coasts. Black skimmers inhabit coastal marshes, sandy shores and islands, shallow bays, estuaries, lagoons, creeks, inlets, and rivers.
Black skimmers spend much time loafing gregariously on sandbars in the rivers, coasts, and lagoons they frequent. The birds communicate with each other through displays and vocally; their typical call is a barking 'kak-kak-kak'. Black skimmers have a light graceful flight, with steady beats of their long wings. They feed usually in large flocks, flying low over the water surface with the lower mandible skimming the water (in order of importance) for small fish and other prey caught by touch. They forage by night but are also active during the day. Black skimmers clean themselves often spending a lot of time bathing in freshwater and preening. When sleeping in a flock, they remain standing and tuck their heads into the wing.
Black skimmers are carnivores (piscivores). Their diet includes small fish, insects, crustaceans and mollusks.
Black skimmers are monogamous; they form pairs and males aggressively protect their mates. They breed in loose groups on sandbanks and sandy beaches. The female lays 3 to 7 heavily dark-blotched buff or bluish eggs and both parents incubate them for 21-23 days. The chicks leave the nest as soon as they hatch and lie inconspicuously in the nest depression or "scrape" where they are shaded from high temperatures by the parents. They may dig their own depressions in the sand at times. The young fledge at 23-25 days after hatching but start flying at 6 weeks of age.
The main threats to Black skimmers include habitat loss, human disturbances, pesticides, and oil pollution. Storms also destroy nests and swamp newly hatched chicks.
According to the What Bird resource, the total population size of the Black skimmer is around 200,000 individuals. According to the All About Birds resource the total North American population size of this species is 65,000-70,000 breeding birds. Overall, currently, Black skimmers are classified as Least Concern (LC) on the IUCN Red List but their numbers today are decreasing.
Social animals are those animals that interact highly with other animals, usually of their own species (conspecifics), to the point of having a rec...