Black Skimmer: Odd-looking, tern-like bird with black upperparts and white underparts.  Bright red bill with black tip.  They are the only birds in the world whose lower mandible is longer than the upper.   Long, slim wings are dark above and silver-gray below. Tail is white with black central feathers. Legs, feet are red.  Skimmers are named so because of the way they feed. This bird flies just above the water with its bill open, skimming the water’s surface with its long lower bill open like a pair of scissors. Their bodies are oddly proportioned:

The Black Skimmer is native to countries throughout Central America and the Caribbean. The range of the Black Skimmer is approximately 14 million kilometers. It is thought that the population of the Black Skimmer is about 200,000 individual birds.

Black Skimmer: Breeds along Atlantic and Gulf coasts from Massachusetts and Long Island to Florida and Texas. Spends winters north to southern California and Virginia; also in Central and South America. Preferred habitats include sandy or gravelly bars and beaches, shallow bays, estuaries, and salt marsh pools.

A group of skimmers are collectively known as a “conspiracy”.