18th Annual Smithsonian Magazine Photo Contest Natural World
Portrait of a Black Skimmer

I was walking in a beach conservation area looking for beach nesting birds when I saw a colony of Black Skimmers. While keeping a safe distance from the birds, I scanned to see if there was anything that would make an interesting shot. I saw this lone bird facing directly at me. I noticed that the bill of this species looks completely different from this angle. The usually thick, large bill looks razor thin!

Photo Detail
Date Taken: 08.2019
Date Uploaded: 09.2020
Photo Location: Stone Harbor, New Jersey, United States of America
Camera: NIKON D7000
Copyright: © Caitlin DiMaria