Skimming Off the Top

St. Petersburg, Florida -- Black Skimmers are seabirds that feed by skimming off the top of the water.

They are born with even length beaks and as they mature, the lower part of the knife-like beak grows longer than the top!

They can feed day or night by using their sense of touch to catch small fish, insects, crustaceans and mollusks.

They fly low over the water with their mouths open and the lower mandible slicing the surface. When the mandible touches a fish, the upper bill (maxilla) snaps down instantly to catch it.

They are very unusual looking black and white birds with bright red-orange accents that produce a mild honking or barking noise. They like to nest in groups on flat beach areas.

They are more common in Central and South America. Their territory extends into Florida which they are more prevalent along the Gulf but are becoming increasingly rare.

I shot this group along the Gandy causeway. There is another colony that nests on the beaches by the Suncoast Seabird Sanctuary in Indian Shores.