With its distinctive bill adorned in brilliant orange-red at the base and capped with a sleek black tip, it is a striking sight along the waterways of sub-Saharan Africa. This unique bill adaptation, characterized by a flattened lower mandible that is approximately one-third longer than the upper, serves a specialized purpose in the skimmer’s feeding behavior. As the bird flies gracefully in lines over calm waters, it dips its lower mandible into the surface, skimming the water for prey. When a fish is detected, the skimmer swiftly snaps its mouth shut, capturing its meal with remarkable precision.
One of the most remarkable features of the African skimmer is its distinctive vertical pupil, a trait shared by only a handful of species in the animal kingdom. This unique eye structure allows the skimmer to regulate the amount of light entering its eye, enabling it to adapt to varying light conditions with remarkable efficiency. By narrowing the pupil to a single slit in bright sunlight or dilating it into a full circle in low-light conditions, the African skimmer maximizes its visual acuity and ensures optimal hunting success regardless of the time of day.
The African skimmer’s feeding behavior is most active during the crepuscular periods of dawn and dusk when light levels are lower, and its exceptional night vision further enhances its hunting capabilities during these times. This nocturnal prowess enables the skimmer to forage efficiently in low-light conditions, relying on its keen eyesight to detect and capture prey even in the dimmest of environments.
In addition to its specialized feeding adaptations, the African skimmer is also well-suited to the challenging environmental conditions of its habitat. As one of the most heat-tolerant birds on the planet, the skimmer thrives in the sweltering temperatures of sub-Saharan Africa’s wetlands, where it navigates the waterways with grace and agility.
Distribution
Angola
Benin
Botswana
Burkina Faso
Burundi
Cameroon
Central Af. Rep.
Chad
Congo-Brazzaville
Côte D’ivoire
DR Congo (Kinshasa)
Egypt
Equatorial Guinea
Eritrea
Ethiopia
Gabon
Gambia
Ghana
Guinea
Israel
Kenya
Official estimate
Liberia
Malawi
Mali
Mauritania
Mozambique
Namibia
Niger
Nigeria
Rwanda
Senegal
Sierra Leone
Somalia
South Africa
Official estimate
South Sudan
Sudan
Tanzania
Official estimate
Togo
Uganda
Yemen
Zambia
ZimbabweAnything we've missed?
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Terrestrial / Aquatic
Altricial / Precocial
Polygamous / Monogamous
Dimorphic / Monomorphic (size)
Active: Diurnal / Nocturnal
Social behavior: Solitary / Pack / Herd / Flock
Diet: Carnivore / Herbivore / Omnivore / Piscivorous / Insectivore
Migratory: Yes / No
Domesticated: Yes / No
Dangerous: Yes / No
