Quick identification
Black skimmer (Rynchops niger)
A striking black-and-white waterbird with a red-and-black bill whose lower half is longer than the upper. Long wings and buoyant flight are distinctive.
Season and local range: Regular coastal resident and breeder.
Habitat and island setting
Lagoon flats, sandbars, beaches and spoil islands used for resting or colonial nesting.
Where to look
Scan the causeway flats, bayside roosts and boat-accessible islands; keep boats away from colonies and high-tide roosts. Birds may move as tides, wind, fronts, water levels and activity at the site change.
What the bird is doing
Skimmers feed by flying low with the lower bill cutting the surface. Ground nests and chicks are nearly invisible, so closures deserve a generous buffer.
Watching birds
Use binoculars or a camera zoom, stay on public paths and leave feeding, resting and nesting birds enough room to continue normal behavior. If a bird stops feeding, stands alert, calls repeatedly or moves away because of you, increase the distance. Check access information in the South Padre Island birding guide before making a special trip.