Black Skimmer
Black SkimmerBlack SkimmerBlack SkimmerBlack Skimmer

Black Skimmer

Rynchops niger

Silhouette: Daniel Nuñez-Leon · PhyloPic

Least ConcernNear ThreatenedVulnerableEndangeredCritically Endangered
Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
at Big Cypress National Preserve
16 Verified sightings at Big Cypress National Preserve From 2019 to 2026
6,411 Verified sightings across all 41 parks From 2019 to 2026
June Best month highest sighting rate
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted during daytime hours (6am–6pm)

About the Black Skimmer

The black skimmer (Rynchops niger) is a tern-like seabird, one of three similar bird 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 and Atlantic coasts, but South American populations make only shorter movements in response to annual floods which extend their feeding areas in the river shallows.

The black skimmer was described by the Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus in 1755 in the tenth edition of his Systema Naturae and given the binomial name Rynchops niger. The genus name Rynchops is from the Ancient Greek ῥυvχος/rhunkhos meaning "bill" and κοπτω/koptō meaning "to cut off". The specific niger is the Latin word for "black". The black skimmer is one of three species in the genus Rynchops.

There are three subspecies: The black skimmer is the largest of the three skimmer species. It measures 40–50 cm (16–20 in) long with a 107–127 cm (42–50 in) wingspan. This species ranges from 212 to 447 g (7.5 to 15.8 oz), with males averaging about 349 g (12.3 oz), as compared to the smaller females 254... Wikipedia →

Closest Relatives at Big Cypress National Preserve

Royal Tern
LC

Royal Tern

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Thalasseus maximus

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck
Laughing Gull

Laughing Gull

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Leucophaeus atricilla

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
Ring-billed Gull
LC

Ring-billed Gull

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Larus delawarensis

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
Forster's Tern
LC

Forster's Tern

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Sterna forsteri

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
Sandwich Tern
LC

Sandwich Tern

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Thalasseus sandvicensis

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
Least Tern
LC

Least Tern

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Sternula antillarum

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
Caspian Tern
LC

Caspian Tern

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Hydroprogne caspia

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
Common Tern
LC

Common Tern

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Sterna hirundo

Daily sighting probability Insufficient data
American Herring Gull
LC

American Herring Gull

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Larus smithsonianus

Daily sighting probability Insufficient data
Bonaparte's Gull

Bonaparte's Gull

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Chroicocephalus philadelphia

Daily sighting probability Insufficient data
Lesser Black-backed Gull
LC

Lesser Black-backed Gull

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Larus fuscus

Daily sighting probability Insufficient data
Gull-billed Tern
LC

Gull-billed Tern

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Gelochelidon nilotica

Daily sighting probability Insufficient data

Global Distribution

Warmer areas are where this animal is recorded most often.

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Paracas National Reserve 🇵🇪 Peru
~50%
2 Ría Lagartos Biosphere Reserve 🇲🇽 Mexico
~40%
3 Parque Estadual Encontro das Águas 🇧🇷 Brazil
~40%
4 Noel Kempff Mercado National Park 🇧🇴 Bolivia
~30%
5 Tambopata National Reserve 🇵🇪 Peru
~10%
6 Celestún Biosphere Reserve 🇲🇽 Mexico
~10%
7 Ciénaga de Zapata 🇨🇺 Cuba
~10%
8 Amacayacu National Natural Park 🇨🇴 Colombia
~10%
9 Manu National Park 🇵🇪 Peru
~10%
10 Cuyabeno Wildlife Reserve 🇪🇨 Ecuador
~10%
11 Everglades National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
12 El Impenetrable National Park 🇦🇷 Argentina
~10%
13 Yasuní National Park 🇪🇨 Ecuador
~10%
14 Madidi National Park 🇧🇴 Bolivia
~10%
15 El Vizcaíno Biosphere Reserve 🇲🇽 Mexico
<5%
16 Caroni Swamp 🇹🇹 Trinidad and Tobago
<5%
17 Iberá National Park 🇦🇷 Argentina
<5%
18 Cordillera Azul National Park 🇵🇪 Peru
<5%
19 Anavilhanas National Park 🇧🇷 Brazil
<5%
20 Sierra de la Macarena National Park 🇨🇴 Colombia
<5%
21 Santa Rosa National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%
22 Henri Pittier National Park 🇻🇪 Venezuela
<5%
23 La Amistad International Park (Panama) 🇵🇦 Panama
<5%
24 Tortuguero National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%
25 Iguaçu National Park 🇧🇷 Brazil
<5%
26 Big Cypress National Preserve 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
27 Gandoca-Manzanillo Wildlife Refuge 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%
28 Machalilla National Park 🇪🇨 Ecuador
<5%
29 Iguazú National Park 🇦🇷 Argentina
<5%
30 Arrecifes de Cozumel National Park 🇲🇽 Mexico
<5%
31 Bastimentos Island National Marine Park 🇵🇦 Panama
<5%
32 Carara National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%
33 Bahía de Loreto National Park 🇲🇽 Mexico
Insufficient data
34 Acadia National Park 🇺🇸 United States
Insufficient data
35 Galápagos Islands 🇪🇨 Ecuador
Insufficient data
36 Canaima National Park 🇻🇪 Venezuela
Insufficient data
37 Chagres National Park 🇵🇦 Panama
Insufficient data
38 Tayrona National Natural Park 🇨🇴 Colombia
Insufficient data
39 Palo Verde National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
Insufficient data
40 Parque Natural Metropolitano 🇵🇦 Panama
Insufficient data
41 Manuel Antonio National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
Insufficient data

Quick answers

What are the chances of seeing a Black Skimmer in Big Cypress National Preserve?

Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Black Skimmer sighting in Big Cypress National Preserve, based on 16 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.

When is the best time to see Black Skimmer in Big Cypress National Preserve?

June has the highest sighting rate for Black Skimmer in Big Cypress National Preserve in our monthly data.

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