Meet the feathered, flying fisherman of Smythe Lake

Fishermen have devised countless ways to catch their prey.

There are pier fishermen, surf fishermen, boat fishermen, underwater spear fishermen, and even fly fishermen. This last term refers to a particular type of rod – casting and lures – rather than to flying anglers. But one relatively unknown bird, rather than the human being, gets the award for being the original “fly fisherman.” 

Most folks are familiar with pelicans diving onto prey, with gulls and ospreys plucking fish from the water, and with herons and egrets wading the shallows to spear their next meal. But Rynchops niger, the black skimmer, literally fishes by flying just above the surface with its lower bill dragging through the water. A highly developed sense of touch allows for nearly instantaneous closing of the bird’s beak when prey is encountered and for fishing in low-light conditions. As a crepuscular bird, skimmers are most commonly encountered at dawn and dusk. A few of them have been quite active during early evenings at Smythe Lake this summer. 

One of three skimmer species found worldwide, the black skimmer is native to much of South America and, seasonally, to coastal Central and North America. They sometimes travel as far north as the beaches of California and New England during their summer breeding season. There have certainly been some frequenting Daniel Island’s lakes and ponds this year. 

It is no surprise that skimmers eat mostly fish. They will, however, also eat shrimp, molting crabs, or other small crustaceans. It is absolutely beautiful to watch these birds swoop down to the water and drag their lower beaks through a calm lake’s surface at twilight, sometimes for hundreds of feet. This writer has spent quite some time filming their graceful feeding activities recently in nearby Smythe Lake. 

Black skimmers nest on sandy, shelly, or rocky ground and prefer to have a little bit of vegetation nearby. Eggs are laid in “scrapes” dug out by the parents. These are typically about 10 inches across and an inch deep. Nesting is frequently done in proximity to terns, which are aggressive defenders of nesting areas against both mammals and other bird threats. Nesting pairs have only one brood per year of one to five eggs. These will be incubated for three to four weeks before hatching. 

Sadly, the black skimmer is in trouble. Estimates are that over 80% of the population has disappeared in the last 60 years, earning skimmers a place on the Partners in Flight Yellow List for declining species. Much of this is due to coastal development and human activity. Skimmers nest where people vacation. Human, pet, and vehicular activity on beaches disrupts and destroys nests, and rising water levels offer increasingly less habitat.  

It is hard to see many bright spots in the black skimmer’s future. Hopefully, conservation efforts can help the population stabilize, and these unique birds will continue to leave their trails across the water for generations to come.