Rhynchops niger
Status: No accepted records.
Taxonomy: There are three subspecies (Gill et al 2022): cinerascens and intercedens of South America, and niger of coastal USA and Mexico.
Comments: There are two reports, neither acceptably documented. One was reported at Pawnee Lake, Lancaster Co, 10 Sep 2005, but the report was not accepted by NOURC as it “lacked sufficient details for this species to be placed on the Official State List” (Brogie 2006). The second was seen by several observers on Lake Ogallala, Keith Co 20 Jul 2015; this record was not accepted by NOURC as the description submitted of the bird’s behavior did not match that of Black Skimmer (Brogie 2016).
Although there are at least nine records from northern Texas (Dallas northward) in the period May-Sep, most recent in 2005 at Hagerman NWR, there are only three records farther north on the Great Plains: May 1968 and Jun 1977 in Kansas, and Jul 2001 in eastern Colorado (eBird.org, accessed Oct 2023).
Abbreviations
NOURC: Nebraska Ornithologists’ Union Records Committee
Literature Cited
Brogie, M.A. 2006. 2005 (17th) Report of the NOU Records Committee. NBR 74: 69-74.
Brogie, M.A. 2016. 2015 (27th) Report of the NOU Records Committee. NBR 84: 138-150.
Gill, F., D. Donsker, and P. Rasmussen (Eds). 2022. IOC World Bird List (v 12.2). Doi 10.14344/IOC.ML.12.2. http://www.worldbirdnames.org/.
Recommended Citation
Silcock, W.R., and J.G. Jorgensen. 2023. Black Skimmer (Rhynchops niger). In Birds of Nebraska — Online. www.BirdsofNebraska.org
Birds of Nebraska – Online
Updated 19 Oct 2023