This is an African Skimmer. They are distributed throughout most of Africa except form the very South and the North West. Overall there is about 10,000 to 17,000 of these animals left which in the area that they live is a very few animals. The conservationists are not sure as to why the African Skimmer is dying out. But some believe it is because of degradation of wetland habitats and over-exploration and human disturbance. It mainly eats small fish it catches these by skimming across water with its mouth open as shown above in the picture. They need calm water to do this hunting which makes it hard for the birds to find places to live which is why the species is spread so far across Africa. They build their nests on sandbanks were they lay their 2 to 3 eggs over a couple of days. The eggs are generally laid between March and June in the West and East of Africa. The beak of this bird is designed for it's unusual way of hunting. So the longer bottom bit can go in the water and scoop up the fish when it comes along.
It has been a pleasure to find out about this threatened bird and how it is so specially adapted to it's way of life. Its life is very structured as it has to have certain conditions to survive.
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