Black Skimmer
Rynchops niger
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Cordats)
- ClassAves (Aus)
- OrderCharadriiformes (Caradriformes)
- FamilyLaridae (Gulls, Terns, and Skimmers)
- GenusRynchops (Skimmers)
- SpeciesRynchops niger (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. Wikipedia →
10–20% of wildlife watchers report a Black Skimmer sighting in Amacayacu National Natural Park, based on 96 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.
Closest Relatives at Amacayacu National Natural Park
Large-billed Tern
Phaetusa simplex
Yellow-billed Tern
Sternula superciliaris
Wattled Jacana
Jacana jacana
Southern Lapwing
Vanellus chilensis
Pectoral Sandpiper
Calidris melanotos
Spotted Sandpiper
Actitis macularius
Pied Lapwing
Hoploxypterus cayanus
Solitary Sandpiper
Tringa solitaria
White-rumped Sandpiper
Calidris fuscicollis
Lesser Yellowlegs
Tringa flavipes
Buff-breasted Sandpiper
Calidris subruficollis
Greater Yellowlegs
Tringa melanoleuca
📅 Monthly Probability
☀️ When They're Spotted
Most active during daytime hours (6am–6pm) · across all parks (global)
Global Distribution
Where this species is recorded worldwide. Restricted to human observations from 2019 onwards — the same kind of record and the same period the probabilities on this page are built from, so collar-tracking studies, camera-trap arrays and museum specimens are excluded. Around Santa Rosa that removes 5,924 GPS fixes from a handful of tagged jaguars.
where this species is recorded (GBIF density — it tracks where observers go, not how likely a sighting is) · parks where it occurs — tap a pin for the sighting probability there
Parks Where Found
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a Black Skimmer in Amacayacu National Natural Park?
About 11% of wildlife watchers report a Black Skimmer sighting in Amacayacu National Natural Park, based on 96 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Black Skimmer in Amacayacu National Natural Park?
August has the highest sighting rate for Black Skimmer in Amacayacu National Natural Park in our monthly data.