The Story
I photographed this Black Skimmer (Rynchops niger) on the Orteguaza River at Puerto Arango, near Florencia, Caquetá, Colombia, in February 2020. It breeds in loose groups on sandbanks and sandy beaches across the Americas. Its chicks leave the nest as soon as they hatch and lie in the shallow scrape, where the parents shade them from the heat. Chick survival depends on finding fish of the right size close to the colony. It does most of its feeding at night. 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 1/2500 sec, f/5.6, ISO 400, −1.3 EV. The Ferry Marcopolo leaves from Puerto Arango, about 15 kilometers from Florencia, on a two-hour trip on the Orteguaza River, passing the mouth of the Hacha River and stopping at a sandbar for lunch.
©2023 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