Birds · La Saladita, Guerrero

Black Skimmer

Rynchops niger

Spanish: Rayador americano

Black Skimmer (Rynchops niger)
Photographed by adrian_mora on iNaturalist

The black skimmer (Rynchops niger) is a tern-like seabird, one of three very similar birds species in the skimmer genus Rynchops in the gull family Laridae. It breeds in North and South America. Northern populations winter in the warmer waters of the Caribbean and the tropical and subtropical Pacific coasts, but the South American races make only shorter movements in response to annual floods which extend their feeding areas in the river shallows.

TaxonomyAves › Charadriiformes › Laridae
Local records12 research-grade observations within about 50 km of La Saladita (the survey box also takes in Zihuatanejo, Ixtapa and Troncones)
Global records24,272 on iNaturalist
Most recent records2021 – 2026
Months of the 8 most recent records
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Recent local sightings

Interactive card with more photos, sounds and similar species Birds guide iNaturalist Wikipedia

Cite as: “Black Skimmer (Rynchops niger) at La Saladita”, La Saladita Field Guide, lasaladita.com/species/rynchops-niger/, updated 2026-09-26. Observation counts and months come from iNaturalist research-grade records within about 50 km of 17.8375°N, 101.7606°W (the survey box also takes in Zihuatanejo, Ixtapa and Troncones); summary text from Wikipedia where present.