Rynchops flavirostris

Life-forms

Superregnum: Eukaryota
Cladus: Unikonta
Cladus: Opisthokonta
Cladus: Holozoa
Regnum: Animalia
Subregnum: Eumetazoa
Cladus: Bilateria
Cladus: Nephrozoa
Superphylum: Deuterostomia
Phylum: Chordata
Subphylum: Vertebrata
Infraphylum: Gnathostomata
Megaclassis: Osteichthyes
Cladus: Sarcopterygii
Cladus: Rhipidistia
Cladus: Tetrapodomorpha
Cladus: Eotetrapodiformes
Cladus: Elpistostegalia
Superclassis: Tetrapoda
Cladus: Reptiliomorpha
Cladus: Amniota
Classis: Reptilia
Cladus: Eureptilia
Cladus: Romeriida
Subclassis: Diapsida
Cladus: Sauria
Infraclassis: Archosauromorpha
Cladus: Crurotarsi
Divisio: Archosauria
Cladus: Avemetatarsalia
Cladus: Ornithodira
Subtaxon: Dinosauromorpha
Cladus: Dinosauriformes
Cladus: Dracohors
Cladus: Dinosauria
Ordo: Saurischia
Cladus: Eusaurischia
Subordo: Theropoda
Cladus: Neotheropoda
Cladus: Averostra
Cladus: Tetanurae
Cladus: Avetheropoda
Cladus: Coelurosauria
Cladus: Tyrannoraptora
Cladus: Maniraptoromorpha
Cladus: Maniraptoriformes
Cladus: Maniraptora
Cladus: Pennaraptora
Cladus: Paraves
Cladus: Eumaniraptora
Cladus: Avialae
Infraclassis: Aves
Cladus: Euavialae
Cladus: Avebrevicauda
Cladus: Pygostylia
Cladus: Ornithothoraces
Cladus: Ornithuromorpha
Cladus: Carinatae
Parvclassis: Neornithes
Cohors: Neognathae
Cladus: Neoaves
Ordo: Charadriiformes
Subordo: Lari

Familia: Rynchopidae
Genus: Rynchops
Species: Rynchops flavirostris
Name

Rynchops flavirostris Vieillot, 1816
References

Vieillot, 1816. Nouveau Dictionnaire d’Histoire naturelle, appliquée aux arts, à l'agriculture, à l'économie rurale et domestique, à la médecine, etc. Tome 3. p. 338. BHL
IUCN: Rynchops flavirostris (Near Threatened)

Vernacular names
Afrikaans: Waterploeër
العربية: أبو مقص أفريقي
български: Африкански водорез
català: Bec de tisora africà
Cymraeg: Sgimiwr Affrica
Deutsch: Braunmantel-Scherenschnabel
English: African Skimmer
Esperanto: Afrika tondilbekulo
español: Rayador africano
فارسی: آب‌شکاف آفریقایی
suomi: Afrikansaksinokka
français: Bec-en-ciseaux d'Afrique
עברית: גזרן אפריקני
magyar: Afrikai ollóscsőrű
日本語: アフリカハサミアジサシ
Nederlands: Afrikaanse schaarbek
norsk: Afrikasaksenebb
polski: Brzytwodziób afrykański
português: Bico-de-tesoura-africano
русский: Африканский водорез
svenska: Afrikansk saxnäbb
Türkçe: Afrika makasgagası
Tiếng Việt: Chim xúc cá châu Phi

The African skimmer (Rynchops flavirostris) is a species of bird belonging to the skimmer genus Rynchops in the family Laridae. It is found along rivers, lakes and lagoons in Sub-Saharan Africa.[1]

Description
African skimmers and white-winged terns at Kazinga Channel, Uganda

African skimmers have long wings, with a black back, hindneck, and crown. The forehead and rest of the body is white, with a bright, long, orange beak that ends with a yellow tip (black tip when immature), hence the specific name flavirostris, "yellow-beak." Their short forked tail is white, and their legs are bright red. The average size is about 38 cm (15 in) long. Their voice is a sharp "kip-kip". Their bill structure is unique; the lower mandible is much longer than the upper mandible, and is flattened sideways like scissor blades.[2]
Distribution and habitat

The African skimmer is found from Senegal to northern Congo River and southern Nile Valley, southern Tanzania to the Zambezi Valley, and then to KwaZulu-Natal Province (South Africa) and Angola. They live at large tropical rivers with sandbanks for nesting and roosting, lake shores, and coastal lagoons. The African skimmer is generally uncommon and the total populations is estimated at 15,000–25,000 individuals.[1][3]
Behavior
African skimmer feeding in Chobe, Botswana

African skimmers fly in lines over calm waters, and dip their lower mandibles in the water to feed.[1] When the mandible touches a fish, the skimmer snaps its mouth shut. They feed mostly at dawn and dusk and have good night vision. The following fish have been recorded as prey for African skimmers: Micralestes, Tilapia, Barbus, Marcusenius , Hepsetus, Aplocheilichthys and Petrocephalus.[3]
Reproduction

African skimmers nest in loose colonies on large sandbanks. The colonies typically consist of less than 50 pairs and each pair lays 2–3 (rarely 4) eggs in a scrape in the sand.[1] Sometimes African skimmer colonies are mixed with those of other sand bank nesting birds such as collared pratincole, pied avocet and white-fronted plover.[3]
Movements

African skimmers are partial intra-African migrants, they arrive in southern Africa when the water level of rivers starts falling at the beginning of the dry season, i.e. April–June, returning northwards after breeding when rivers start rising again at the start of the rainy season in November–January.[3]
References

BirdLife International (2021). "Rynchops flavirostris". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2021: e.T22694262A179400911. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2021-3.RLTS.T22694262A179400911.en. Retrieved 12 November 2021.
Borrow, Nik; Demey, Ron (2001). Birds of Western Africa. A & C Black. p. 466. ISBN 0-7136-3959-8.
"Rynchops flavirostris (African skimmer)". Biodiversity Explorer. Iziko Museums of South Africa. Retrieved 2016-11-11.