Skimmer, or Scissorbill, a long-winged shorebird with brownish-black plumage above and white plumage below. It has small, orange feet. The lower part of the long, slender bill is slightly longer than the upper part. The base of the bill is orange, and, depending on the species, the tip may be yellow or black. The black skimmer of temperate and tropical America is 16 to 20 inches (40 to 50 cm) long and has a black-tipped bill. Its call is similar to a dog's bark. There are two other species of skimmers, found in Africa and in India and Southeast Asia.
All skimmers live along seacoasts and large rivers and lakes. As the name “skimmer” implies, they skim across the water, scooping up such food as fish and shrimp with their bills. Skimmers breed in colonies. Their nests—slight depressions in the sand—may hold from two to five pale and darkly blotched eggs.
The black skimmer is Rynchops niger of the skimmer family, Rynchopidae.