Black Skimmer
Rynchops niger
This Black Skimmer was cruising the canals by Johnson's Landing at the Hayward Regional Shoreline in California on July 31, 2015. It is the only bird to have a lower mandible longer than the upper one. The two photographs below show how it gets its name
The Black Skimmer is just beginning to skim
The Black Skimmer is leaving its skim trail