Saturday, February 2, 2013

Black Skimmer

Black Skimmer
 The black skimmer is the only member of the skimmer family found in the America's. They are primarily found in South America but some do live in the warm coastal waters of Central America and along the gulf coast of North America. If you look closely at the picture above you may notice that the bottom portion of this birds beak extends out further then the top. This is not an injured bird this is the way that skimmer beaks grow. When they hatch the top and bottom portion of their beaks are the same size but as they begin to grow the bottom portion grows longer then the top. The skimmer uses this adaptation to hunt. They primarily eat small fish which they catch by flying low over the water and extending the lower portion of their beak into the water. When the lower portion hits a fish they snap the upper part of the beak down on it and catch it. Because this form of fishing relies manly on touch the black skimmer often hunts at dusk or dawn and may even hunt into the night. Their are two other skimmers in the world the African and Indian skimmer. All skimmers hunt in the same manner. The black Skimmer is the largest of the three. This photo was taken at South Padre Island in south east Texas.



13 comments:

HansHB said...

A great photo!
Kind of cute bird!

Pat said...

Nice shot of this bird, showing distinctive characteristics!

Two Barking Dogs-1 said...

great photos!


Jidhu Jose said...

its beautiful

Fly on green leaf

Nefertiti said...

Merci de la decouverte je ne connaissais pas du tout cet oiseau !

Anni said...

I also read in my bird guide book, that the Black Skimmer is the only bird in America that has the bottom mandible longer than the top.

??? said...

They are such odd-looking birds. I'd love to see them in the wild.

Sallie (FullTime-Life) said...

Saw this bird in Florida for the first time last winter...I am still looking for a second sighting (and we didn't see it 'skim')...but I was ecstatic to discover it. Great picture thank you!

DeniseinVA said...

He's a beauty! Very interesting info too, thank you.

Marie said...

I was not familiar with this bird so it was really nice to read the information you provided -- very interesting about the beak! I am going to share it with my daughter who is fascinated by everything about nature and loves birds.

Visiting via Camera Critters

Karen said...

What an odd looking bird. Beautiful in it's own way. Great shot!

Lighthousegal said...

Great Shot! I like the bit of bright color on the Skimmer's beak, it matches its legs. I enjoyed reading about this beautiful bird. I like learning about birds that aren't found in my area. I bet it is neat to watch the Skimmer in its hunt for food.

Roan said...

Enjoyed reading your post. Wonderful shot!
RubbishbyRoan