Black Skimmers are rare but occasional visitors to Arizona, typically found at large lakes, reservoirs, and rivers during migration or post-breeding dispersal. These striking black-and-white birds are known for their distinctive long, thin bills with a longer lower mandible, which they use to skim the water's surface for fish. While they breed along the Gulf and Atlantic coasts, their appearances in Arizona—usually in summer or early fall—are considered unusual and exciting sightings for birders. Most records come from southern and central Arizona, especially in the vicinity of major water bodies like the Gila and Salt rivers.
