Black Skimmer, juvenile, Napatree

The Black Skimmer—this one's a juvenile who won't get his mourning plumage until next year—would, at first glance, appear to be in need of an avian orthodontist. There's probably no better illustration of a severe underbite than this bird exhibits. However, don't feel bad about the condition: the Black Skimmer, which I spotted this afternoon at the edge of the Napatree Point lagoon in Watch Hill, has a malocclusion by design, and it's a perfectly shaped fit to its feeding habits. When the Skimmer, well, skims just above the water's surface, it dips that lower jaw into the drink to snag small fish and crustaceans. The lower part of the beak is exquisitely sensitive to the touch and movement of minnows and the like, and when the bird senses prey, it almost instantly snaps the top part of the beak over the hapless fish and thus secures dinner. No braces required.