The Story
I photographed this Black Skimmer (Rynchops niger) from the Ferry Marcopolo on the Orteguaza River at Puerto Arango, near Florencia, Caquetá, Colombia, in February 2020. It is the largest of the world’s three skimmers, and its lower mandible is much longer than the upper. Its eye has a catlike vertical pupil, which is unique for a bird. South American skimmers move only short distances, following the annual floods that widen their feeding areas in the river shallows. Skimmers spend much of their time resting in groups on river sandbars. IUCN lists it as Least Concern.
I made this frame with a Pentax K-1 and the HD Pentax-D FA 150-450mm f/4.5-5.6, at 1/3200 sec, f/8, ISO 1600, −0.3 EV. The Ferry Marcopolo trip leaves from Puerto Arango and runs for two hours on the Orteguaza River, with a lunch stop on a sandbar.
©2021 Adam Rainoff Photographer
The bird
The Black Skimmer (Rynchops niger) belongs to the family Laridae (Gulls, Terns, and Skimmers) in the eBird/Clements taxonomy.
Source: eBird.org (opens in a new tab)
Conservation
Least Concern on the IUCN Red List (assessment published 2025). Source: IUCN Red List