African skimmer
Introduction: It would be well worth the effort to check out the hunting habits of the African skimmer (Rynchops flavirostris) by day or by moonlight when on the northern leg of your Namibian safari. Their unique bill structure and foraging behaviour whilst skimming for food and water is a truly memorable experience for photographer and bird watcher alike. Skimmers favour large lowland rivers and lakes with islands and sandbars used for roosting and breeding sites.
Distribution: Caprivi notably Bwabwata National Park, Mudumu and Nkasa Rupara National Parks, Kwando River, Zambezi River, Chobe River, the Okavango Delta and Moremi Game Reserve.
Diet: Forages by night and hunts by day when feeding chicks. Their unique pupil structure allows them to enjoy high light gain under the darker night time light which allows them to forage in murky water. They catch fish, such as tilapia and barbs, sideways in their bill. Drinks while standing in shallow water.
Description: Black plumage above and white below. Flavirostris is a Latin reference for a 'yellow bill'.
Breeding: Eggs are laid in a steep-sided scrape in the ground incubated by both sexes for 21 days.
Size: 40cm.
Weight: 205g.
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