Throughout Sarasota, this bird appears to skate across the water, leaving a trail like an ice skate might. The Black Skimmer is the only bird species in the United States that has a larger lower mandible than upper mandible. They use their elongated lower mandibles to feed by skimming it over the water as they fly with great agility and speed. Baby Black Skimmers are born with their upper and lower mandibles the same length.

A group of skimmers are collectively known as a "conspiracy", "embezzlement", and "scoop" of skimmers and they have nicknames of "Seadog", "Scissor-bill" and "Cutwater".

Black Skimmers have large vertically-oriented pupils like cats. Such pupils are unique in the bird world.

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