The Black Skimmer is the only bird in North America with a lower mandible longer than the upper, which it uses to 'skim' the water surface — flying with its lower bill slicing through the water and snapping shut when it contacts a fish. It feeds most actively at dusk and dawn when fish surface in calm water. Its vertically slit pupils reduce glare from water.
Habitat
Sandy coastal beaches, lagoons, and estuaries
Diet
Small fish caught by skimming the water surface
How common
Uncommon
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