Figure 1. This pair of Black Skimmers was observed flying, and presumably looking for prey, over a water reservoir in a farming region about 10 km from the coast, in (or close to) São-Gonçalo-do-Amarante municipality. The water level in the reservoir was low, and many other water birds, like herons and Black Stilts, could be seen wading and foraging in the shallow water.
The surrounding habitat was heavily degraded and overgrazed secondary caatinga, with some cultivated fields.
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Figure 2. Note the peculiar bill of this bird: the mandible is longer that the maxilla. See Sick 1997 for more information about the biology of the species, and the structure and function of its bill.
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