African Skimmer vs Sabine's Gull

Rynchops flavirostris compared with Xema sabini

Side-by-Side Comparison

Attribute African Skimmer Sabine's Gull
Scientific Name Rynchops flavirostris Xema sabini
Order Charadriiformes Charadriiformes
Family Laridae Laridae
Conservation Status Least Concern Least Concern
Length
Wingspan 66.4 cm (26.1 in) 53.0 cm (20.9 in)
Weight 165.66666666666666 g (5.84 oz) 182.16666666666666 g (6.43 oz)
Diet -- --
Clutch Size 1-5 1-3
Population Trend

Habitat Comparison

Shared Habitats

African Skimmer only

None

Sabine's Gull only

None

Conservation Status

Least Concern

African Skimmer

Least Concern

Sabine's Gull

About These Birds

African Skimmer

African Skimmer: 36–42 cm, black-and-white skimmer with a long bright orange-yellow bill where the lower mandible is longer than the upper. Flies low over large rivers and lakes, cutting the water surface with the lower bill to catch fish. Resident and partial migrant along large rivers and lakes of sub-Saharan Africa. NT.

Sabine's Gull

Sabine's Gull, 27–32 cm, is an elegant small gull breeding in Arctic tundra and wintering in the Humboldt and Benguela Current upwellings. Striking tricoloured wing pattern — dark primaries, grey secondaries, white inner wing. Long-distance migrant; crosses equator twice annually. Planktivore and piscivore.

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