The African Skimmer is an icon of Africa’s largest river systems (think the Zambezi, the Congo, the Nile). Its highly specialised bill allows it to skim the water surface and snap closed when it feels a fish. However, such specialised feeding likely requires highly specific habitat conditions, which may be why most skimmer populations appear to migrate during river flooding. Despite its charisma, we do not have an empirical understanding of skimmer habitat requirements. This represents a critical knowledge gap for the conservation of skimmers because increasingly frequent dam projects on major African rivers are likely to negatively impact skimmer populations, as has happened in Zimbabwe since the construction of Kariba Dam. Further, we have a poor understanding of the present population status of skimmers in most regions, and presumed intra-African migration complicates this understanding.
Our team’s skills with avian population monitoring and GPS tracking has led us to implement a landmark project on African Skimmers in the Upper Zambezi River Basin of Zambia and Namibia. First, we are conducting multi-year population and breeding surveys in two major floodplain systems on the Zambezi River. Second, we have implemented the first tracking project on African Skimmers to understand their seasonal movements and habitat requirements. Finally, we have implemented a colour ringing project that will allow us to study other aspects of population biology, including dispersal distances, survival, and nest site fidelity.
