Black Skimmer

Black Skimmer

Rynchops niger

Least ConcernNear ThreatenedVulnerableEndangeredCritically Endangered
5–10% · With luck
overall probability at Everglades National Park
696 Verified records at Everglades National Park
January Best month highest sighting rate
☀️ Diurnal When it's active during daytime hours (6am–6pm)

The black skimmer (Rynchops niger) is a tern-like seabird, one of three similar bird 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 and Atlantic coasts, but South American populations make only shorter movements in response to annual floods which extend their feeding areas in the river shallows. Wikipedia →

5–10% of wildlife watchers report a Black Skimmer sighting in Everglades National Park, based on 696 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.

📅 Monthly Probability

10–20
Jan
5–10
Feb
5–10
Mar
<5
Apr
<5
May
<5
Jun
<5
Jul
<5
Aug
<5
Sep
<5
Oct
<5
Nov
10–20
Dec

☀️ When They're Spotted

Most active during daytime hours (6am–6pm) · across all parks (global)

☀️Diurnal
☀️🌙🌙12am6am12pm6pm12am

Global Distribution

Where this species is recorded worldwide. Restricted to human observations from 2019 onwards — the same kind of record and the same period the probabilities on this page are built from, so collar-tracking studies, camera-trap arrays and museum specimens are excluded. Around Santa Rosa that removes 5,924 GPS fixes from a handful of tagged jaguars.

where this species is recorded (GBIF density — it tracks where observers go, not how likely a sighting is)  ·  parks where it occurs — tap a pin for the sighting probability there

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Probability
1 Paracas National Reserve 🇵🇪 Peru
50–60%
2 Ría Lagartos Biosphere Reserve 🇲🇽 Mexico
40–50%
3 Parque Estadual Encontro das Águas 🇧🇷 Brazil
40–50%
4 Noel Kempff Mercado National Park 🇧🇴 Bolivia
30–40%
5 Tambopata National Reserve 🇵🇪 Peru
10–20%
6 Celestún Biosphere Reserve 🇲🇽 Mexico
10–20%
7 Ciénaga de Zapata 🇨🇺 Cuba
10–20%
8 Amacayacu National Natural Park 🇨🇴 Colombia
10–20%
9 Manu National Park 🇵🇪 Peru
5–10%
10 Cuyabeno Wildlife Reserve 🇪🇨 Ecuador
5–10%
11 Everglades National Park 🇺🇸 United States
5–10%
12 El Impenetrable National Park 🇦🇷 Argentina
5–10%
13 Yasuní National Park 🇪🇨 Ecuador
5–10%
14 Madidi National Park 🇧🇴 Bolivia
5–10%
15 Channel Islands National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
16 El Vizcaíno Biosphere Reserve 🇲🇽 Mexico
<5%
17 Caroni Swamp 🇹🇹 Trinidad and Tobago
<5%
18 Iberá National Park 🇦🇷 Argentina
<5%
19 Cordillera Azul National Park 🇵🇪 Peru
<5%
20 Anavilhanas National Park 🇧🇷 Brazil
<5%
21 Sierra de la Macarena National Park 🇨🇴 Colombia
<5%
22 Santa Rosa National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%
23 Henri Pittier National Park 🇻🇪 Venezuela
<5%
24 La Amistad International Park (Panama) 🇵🇦 Panama
<5%
25 Tortuguero National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%
26 Iguaçu National Park 🇧🇷 Brazil
<5%
27 Big Cypress National Preserve 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
28 Gandoca-Manzanillo Wildlife Refuge 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%
29 Machalilla National Park 🇪🇨 Ecuador
<5%
30 Iguazú National Park 🇦🇷 Argentina
<5%
31 Arrecifes de Cozumel National Park 🇲🇽 Mexico
<5%
32 Bastimentos Island National Marine Park 🇵🇦 Panama
<5%
33 Carara National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%
34 Bahía de Loreto National Park 🇲🇽 Mexico
Insufficient data
35 Galápagos Islands 🇪🇨 Ecuador
Insufficient data
36 Acadia National Park 🇺🇸 United States
Insufficient data
37 Cumbres de Monterrey National Park 🇲🇽 Mexico
Insufficient data
38 Canaima National Park 🇻🇪 Venezuela
Insufficient data
39 Chagres National Park 🇵🇦 Panama
Insufficient data
40 Parque Natural Metropolitano 🇵🇦 Panama
Insufficient data
41 Tayrona National Natural Park 🇨🇴 Colombia
Insufficient data
42 Palo Verde National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
Insufficient data
43 Manuel Antonio National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
Insufficient data

Quick answers

What are the chances of seeing a Black Skimmer in Everglades National Park?

About 6% of wildlife watchers report a Black Skimmer sighting in Everglades National Park, based on 696 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.

When is the best time to see Black Skimmer in Everglades National Park?

January has the highest sighting rate for Black Skimmer in Everglades National Park in our monthly data.

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