Bird · Migratory
African Skimmer
How to identify the African skimmer
Black above and white below, with very long wings and a large orange-red bill, the lower half clearly longer than the upper.
Where to see the African skimmer in Murchison Falls National Park
On sandbars in the Nile and in the delta, from a boat. Whether it is present depends on water levels.
Habitat
Broad rivers and lakes with calm water and bare sandbanks.
What the African skimmer eats
Small fish caught at the surface.
Behaviour
It skims mostly at dusk, dawn and on calm days, snapping the bill shut when it touches a fish. It nests in loose colonies in scrapes on open sand, so it depends on low water.
Best time to see the African skimmer
When sandbars are exposed, mostly in the drier months. Migrant within Africa.
Last reviewed 5 October 2026. Further reading: en.wikipedia.org.
Questions about the African skimmer
Why is the African skimmer's lower bill longer?
It feeds by flying just above the surface with the lower bill in the water. When the bill touches a fish it snaps shut.
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