One of my favorite birds here on the Texas coast is the Black Skimmer (Rynchops niger). These charismatic birds live on the beach and can often be seen skimming along the surface of the water ...

In 1775, Carl Linnaeus gave them the binomial name of Rynchops niger; loosely translated it means ‘beak face black,’ but in areas where they are found they are also called scissor-bill ...