UGANDA BIRDING SAFARI GUIDE
The African Skimmer
If you are Planning a Uganda Birding Safari. Then plan to enjoy the African Skimmer.
In this section of the Uganda Birding Safari Guide we share with you information about African Skimmers that can help you enjoy your Bird watching tour to Africa.
You will find information about:
- where to find the African Skimmer in Uganda
- How to Identify them and
- Some interesting facts about these Uganda Birds
Where to find the African Skimmer (Rynchops flavirostris)
The African Skimmer is a black and white tern -like bird, with graceful, elastic measured flight complemented by long, bold red bill.
You will often see this bird flocked on the sandbanks or skimming above the water in Murchison Falls.
What a sight to see if you are in the Murchison area!!
Characteristics of the African skimmer
The African skimmer is an attractive long winged, short tailed tern-like bird with a compressed red bill that is pale at its tip and the lower mandible longer than the upper. It is around 41cm in height.
A breeding adult bird is black-brown above and white below while a non breeding one is duller with a grayish-brown collar across the hind neck.
The immature bird is pale brown above with a shorter black bill and dull yellow legs.
In their habitats
You will find African skimmers in singles or in small flocks.
These birds occur sporadically throughout East Africa but are regular on the Great Rift Valley lakes.
They feed in calm water, skimming the surface with the flexible thin lower mandible partially submerged and snapping up small prey with a remarkable accuracy!
Often quiet birds but if you find them in groups they give a high-pitched quavering kreek kreek kreek kreek sound.Return from The African skimmer to the index page of The Uganda Birding Safari Guide
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