Birds of the Hackensack: Black Skimmer

 

By Ivan Kossak

 

A foraging Black skimmer (Rynchops niger) is an unforgettable sight. As its name implies, the Black skimmer skims its bill across the surface of the water while in flight. Black skimmers are unique among birds in that their lower mandibles are longer than their upper mandibles. This feature allows the Black skimmer to use its lower mandible as a sieve to pick up food while airborne, letting the water run out at the same time. Flocks of skimmers can be reminiscent of a fighter squadron, executing turns and banks in unison.

The Black skimmer is actually a species of tern. Terns are seabirds closely related to gulls but more delicately built with a more buoyant flight. Black skimmers are black only on the back, upper part of the wings, the nape of the neck and crown of the head. The black also runs down the center of the tail while the outer tail feathers are white. Their undersides are also pure white. The Black skimmer’s large bill is red with a black tip. The food that Black skimmers seek, while engaging in their aerial buffet, include small fish and aquatic invertebrates.

Black skimmers are colonial nesters who share their nesting areas with other species of terns.  Colonies typically use sandy or stony beaches with little vegetation as nest sites. Because of their reliance on such coastal areas, preservation efforts are critical to Black skimmer survival. Black skimmers were nearly extirpated from New Jersey in the late 1800s. Now, nesting areas are often roped off and are off limits to human beach-goers. Likewise, pets are forbidden from these beaches during nesting season. 

Black skimmers can be found nesting along much of North America’s Atlantic and Gulf coasts as well as the southern portion of the Pacific coast. Black skimmers will typically retreat to the southern coastal United States in winter.

In New Jersey, Black skimmers can be found nesting in colonies, mostly in Ocean, Atlantic and Cape May counties. These birds will use the marshes and creeks of the Hackensack Meadowlands in migration. The author observed skimmers frequently in the Mill Creek wetlands in Secaucus during the summer of 2003. They can also be regularly found at DeKorte Park.

The best time to observe Black skimmers locally is in August and September, as the birds are known to wander in search of food after breeding but before their journey southward for the winter. For the more adventurous, there is a well-established breeding colony on Stone Harbor Point in Cape May County. A day at the beach is definitely enhanced by the sight of the graceful Black skimmer slicing the shallow coastal waters in search of a meal.