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The African Skimmer (Rynchops flavirostris) is a skimmer that lives in Senegal to nothern Congo River and southern Nile Valley, southern Tanzania to the Zambezi Valley, and then to Natal and Angola. They have very long wings, and the back, hindneck, and crown are black. The forehead and rest of the body is white, with a bright and long orange beak that ends with a yellow tip. Their short forked tail is white, and their legs are bright red. They are 15 inches(18 centimeters) long. Their voice is a sharp "kip-kip". They live in wide tropical rivers with sandbanks, lakeshores, and coastal lagoons. Pairs nest in loose colonies on large sandbanks, and lay 1-4 eggs in a large scrape. African Skimmers fly in lines over calm waters, and dip their lower mandibles in their water to feed. It is rare in east and south African parks.
