Indian Skimmer : Recently Spotted
The endangered Indian Skimmer was recently spotted along the Ghaghra River at Dudhwa Tiger Reserve.
- Indian Skimmer is an odd bird which belongs to the family of skimmers, Rynchopidae.
- Scientific Name: Rynchops albicollis
- It gets its name from the way it feeds, flying low over the water surface and ‘skimming’ for fish.
- Other names: Indian scissors-bill
- It occurs primarily on larger, sandy, lowland rivers, around lakes and adjacent marshes and, in the non-breeding season, in estuaries and coasts.
- These skimmer species were distributed in north Indian rivers, Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh, Myanmar, China, Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam.
- About 20% of the total population nest along river Chambal.
- Conservation Status:
- IUCN Red List: Endangered
