African skimmer facts for kids
The African skimmer (Rynchops flavirostris) is a special kind of bird known for its unique way of catching fish. It lives near rivers, lakes, and lagoons in parts of Africa south of the Sahara Desert. It's part of the skimmer bird family.
Quick facts for kids African skimmer |
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What Does the African Skimmer Look Like?
These birds have long wings. Their back, neck, and the top of their head are black. Their forehead and the rest of their body are white.
Their most amazing feature is their bright orange beak, which has a yellow tip. Young skimmers have a black tip on their beak. The name flavirostris actually means "yellow-beak." They have a short, forked white tail and bright red legs.
African skimmers are about 38 centimeters (15 inches) long. Their voice sounds like a sharp "kip-kip." Their beak is very special: the bottom part is much longer than the top. It's also flat like scissor blades, which helps them fish!
Where Do African Skimmers Live?
African skimmers can be found in many parts of Africa. They live from Senegal in the west, all the way to the southern Nile River. You can also find them from southern Tanzania to the Zambezi Valley, and even in South Africa and Angola.
They prefer to live near large tropical rivers that have sandy banks. These sandbanks are perfect for nesting and resting. They also live along lake shores and in coastal lagoons. African skimmers are not very common. Experts believe there are only about 15,000 to 25,000 of these birds left.
How Do African Skimmers Behave?
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African skimmers have a very cool way of catching their food. They fly in lines just above calm water. As they fly, they dip their long lower beak into the water. When their beak touches a fish, they quickly snap their mouth shut to catch it!
They mostly hunt for food during dawn (sunrise) and dusk (sunset). This is because they have excellent night vision. They eat different kinds of fish, including Micralestes, Tilapia, and Barbus.
How Do African Skimmers Reproduce?
African skimmers build their nests in groups called colonies. They like to nest on large sandbanks. These colonies usually have fewer than 50 pairs of birds. Each pair lays 2 to 3 eggs, sometimes 4, right in a shallow dip in the sand.
Sometimes, African skimmer colonies share their nesting spots with other birds that also nest on sandbanks. These can include birds like the collared pratincole or the white-fronted plover.
Do African Skimmers Move Around?
Yes, African skimmers are what we call "partial migrants" within Africa. This means they move from one area to another depending on the season.
When the dry season begins, usually around April to June, they fly south to places like southern Africa. They stay there to breed. Once the rainy season starts and rivers begin to rise again, from November to January, they fly back north.
