Black Skimmer in South America

Black Skimmer in South America
Scientific name: Rynchops niger
Family: Rynchopidae
Spanish name: Rayador
Migration: Partial Neotropical migrant
Population estimate: 25,000-100,000
(1)
Ramsar Criterion 6 (1% level): 1,000
Trend: Stable
(1)
(1)
IUCN Conservation status: Not known to
have unfavourable conservation status
Distribution and abundances
Widely distributed in South America with two subspecies.
R. niger intercedens distributes along large rivers of east
Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay and north-east Argentina
south to Bahía Blanca (breeds in Entre Ríos, Corrientes
and north of Buenos Aires province), winters mainly
along the Atlantic coast of South America. R. niger
cinerascens distributes along the coast of Colombia to
the mouth of Amazonas River and west Ecuador (gulf of
Guayaquil), south to Bolivia and northwest of Argentina;
winters on coasts from Ecuador to southern Chile and
from Panama to north-central Brazil. Highest abundances
recorded along the coast (Suriname, south-central Peru,
central Chile, southern Brazil, Uruguay and central
Argentina) and inland within La Plata basin (see
Abundances map). Sites reaching the 1% threshold
(Ramsar Convention Criterion No. 6) are: the coasts of
Suriname, Reserva Nacional de Paracas and Lagunas de
Mejías in Peru, mouths of Rio Reloca and Rio Lluta in
Chile, Laguna de Rocha and mouth of Arroyo Valizas in
Uruguay, and Albúfera Mar Chiquita in Argentina.
Migration and seasonality
Breeds along warm coasts and large rivers of South America and in Pantanal. Nonbreeders of R. niger intercedens disperse along the Atlantic Flyway, staying on coasts
and estuaries mainly from December to May, but migration is poorly documented. Nonbreeders of R. niger cinerascens suspected to cross the Andes of southern Colombia on
migration to the Pacific coasts of Peru and Chile (see Seasonality map).
Habitat
Both in coastal and inland wetlands, including sandy beaches, mudflats, tidal pools and
creeks, mouth of rivers, saltmarshes and coastal lagoons, estuaries and mangroves
stands. Inland along large rivers during the low water season. Also recorded in the High
Andes lakes, up to 3,900 m on the Altiplano of Bolivia.
(1) Subspecies Rynchops niger intercedens
Habits and interactions with human activities
Gregarious species, sometimes in mixed flocks with gulls, terns and shorebirds. After the
breeding season in big numbers. Sometimes overlapping with human activities,
especially with tourism and fishing in estuaries and harbours.
Bibliography
Canevari, M., P. Canevari, G.R. Carrizo, G. Harris, J. Rodríguez Mata & R. Straneck. 1991. Nueva
Guía de las Aves Argentinas. Fundación Acindar. Santiago de Chile. Tome I: 200 pp. and Tome II:
182 pp.
del Hoyo, J., A. Elliott & J. Sargatal (eds). 1996. Handbook of the Birds of the World. Vol. 3.
Hoatzin to Auks. Lynx Ed., Barcelona.
Fjeldsa, J. & N. Krabbe. 1990. Birds of the High Andes. Zoological Museum, Univ. of Copenhagen,
Denmark.
Iribarne, O. (Ed.). 2001. Reserva de Biosfera Mar Chiquita. Características físicas, biológicas y
ecológicas. UNESCO / Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata. Editorial Martín. 319 pp.
Narosky, T. & D. Yzurieta. 1987. Guía para la identificación de las aves de Argentina y Uruguay.
Asoc. Ornitológica del Plata. Vázquez Manzini Ed. Buenos Aires. 345 pp.
Olrog, C.C. 1963. Lista y distribución de las aves argentinas. Opera Lilloana IX, Tucumán.
Olrog, C.C. 1968. Las aves sudamericanas: Una guía de campo. Tomo I. Universidad Nacional de
Tucumán, Fundación - Instituto Miguel Lillo, Tucumán, Argentina.
Petracci, P.F. & K. Delhey. 2005. Guía de las aves marinas y costeras de la ría de Bahía Blanca.
Bahía Blanca. 96 pp.
Rodríguez Mata, J., F. Erize & M. Rumboll. 2006. Guía de Campo Collins – Aves de Sudamérica: No
Passeriformes. Harper Collins Ltd.
Wetlands International. 2006. Waterbird Population Estimates – Fourth Edition. Wetlands
International, Wageningen, The Netherlands.
Authors: Daniel E. Blanco, Román Baigún & Bernabé López-Lanús
Data compiler: Darío Unterköfler
Photographer: Pablo F. Petracci
Recommended citation: Blanco D.E., R. Baigún & B. López-Lanús. 2008. Black Skimmer in
South America factsheet. Wetlands International for the Global Avian Influenza Network for
Surveillance / WCS / USAID.
This factsheet and maps were made possible through support provided by the Office of
Health, Infectious Disease and Nutrition, Bureau for Global Health, U.S. Agency for
International Development and Wildlife Conservation Society, under the terms of
Leader Award No.LAG-A-00-99-00047-00, Cooperative Agreement: GHS-A-00-0600005. The opinions expressed herein are those of the author(s) and do not
necessarily reflect the views of the U.S. Agency for International Development or
Wildlife Conservation Society.