African Skimmer in Kabalega Falls National Park, east of Albert, Lake, Uganda

Kabalega Falls National Park was established in 1952. It occupies 1,483 sq mi (3,840 sq km) of rolling grassland. Its central feature is the Kabalega Falls on the lower Victoria Nile River. African Skimmer frequents rivers at low water, coastal lagoons, salt-pans, open marshes and lakes, being less common along coasts. It feeds on fish, foraging exclusively in the fashion characteristic of the family Rynchopidae, namely by skimming the water in flight with its mouth open and lower mandible submerged. Nesting takes place on sandy beaches and sandbars in rivers and islands in lakes. Egg-laying, in an unlined scrape, occurs from March to June in West and East Africa, and mainly from July to November south of the equator. The species migrates up and down larger rivers, and to and from inland lakes. This photograph was taken when Eliot Elisofon was on assignment for American Broadcasting Company and traveled to Africa from June 1966 to early August 1966.