"I here saw a very extraordinary bird, called the Scissor-beak (Rhynchops nigra), Is has short legs, webbed feet, extremely long-pointed wings, and is of about the size of a tern. The beak is flattened laterally, that is, in a plane at right angles to that of a spoonbill or duck. It is as flat and elastic as an ivory paper cutter, and the lower mandible, differently from every other bird, is an inch and a half longer than the upper. ... They kept their bills wide open, and the lower mandible half buried in the water. Thus skimming the surface..." -Charles Darwin, Voyage of the Beagle
He's describing one of my coastal favorite, the Black Skimmer. This species has a nesting colony on the beach near Stone Harbor, NJ. One of my favorite places to be in the summer.
He's describing one of my coastal favorite, the Black Skimmer. This species has a nesting colony on the beach near Stone Harbor, NJ. One of my favorite places to be in the summer.
 |
No comments:
Post a Comment