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 Celestún Biosphere Reserve, based on 181 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.
Closest Relatives at Celestún Biosphere Reserve
Laughing Gull
Leucophaeus atricilla
Sandwich Tern
Thalasseus sandvicensis
Royal Tern
Thalasseus maximus
Grey Gull
Leucophaeus modestus
Sooty Tern
Onychoprion fuscatus
Caspian Tern
Hydroprogne caspia
Forster's Tern
Sterna forsteri
American Herring Gull
Larus smithsonianus
Franklin's Gull
Leucophaeus pipixcan
Least Tern
Sternula antillarum
Common Tern
Sterna hirundo
Ring-billed Gull
Larus delawarensis
📅 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 Celestún Biosphere Reserve?
About 12% of wildlife watchers report a Black Skimmer sighting in Celestún Biosphere Reserve, based on 181 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Black Skimmer in Celestún Biosphere Reserve?
November has the highest sighting rate for Black Skimmer in Celestún Biosphere Reserve in our monthly data.