Skimmer

Skimmers
Black Skimmer
: Animalia : Chordata : Aves : Charadriiformes : Rhynchopidae

The Skimmers are a small family of tern-like birds in the order Charadriiformes, which also includes the waders, gulls and auks.

The three species have an elongated lower mandible. They feed by flying low over the water surface with the lower mandible skimming the water for small fish.

They are tropical species which lay 3-6 eggs on sandy beaches. The female incubates the eggs.

Three species:

• Charadriiformes
• suborder Charadrii: The waders.
• suborder Lari
  • Family Laridae (gulls)
  • Family Sternidae (terns)
  • Family Stercorariidae (skuas)
  • Family Rhynchopidae
    • Black Skimmer Rhynchops niger of inshore tropical Americas.
    • African Skimmer Rhynchops flavirostris of African rivers and coasts.
    • Indian Skimmer Rhynchops albicollis of large rivers in India and southeast Asia.
• suborder Alcae The auks.

See Sibley-Ahlquist taxonomy for an alternative classification.