Indian Skimmer

The Indian Skimmer is a one of the three species that belong to the skimmer family. They are somewhat tern like but like other skimmers, have a short upper mandible and the longer lower mandible that is ploughed along the surface of water as the bird flies over the water to pick aquatic prey. It is found in southern Asia where it is patchily-distributed and declining in numbers. They are mainly found in rivers or estuaries. They are very brightly marked in black, white and orange making them difficult to miss.

The Indian Skimmer is classified as Vulnerable (VU), considered to be facing a high risk of extinction in the wild.

The Indian Skimmer (Rynchops albicollis) forages exclusively be skimming the water in flight, with the mouth open and the lower mandible submerged (above). As soon as a prey item, mainly fish and shrimps, touches the mandible, it is immediately grasped while the head doubles back under the body. The prey is then swallowed while the bird is still in flight or after landing. The structure of the bill is well adapted to skimming. The long upper mandible is shorter than the lower (above). More

“It’s fish for sex when you are an Indian Skimmer at Chambal River…” says Ingo Waschkies, who was in India recently to document the episode. “Actually it was quite funny, he arrived with two fish, then presented one as a gift. He ate his fish and then proceeded to do his skimmer thingie while she kept the fish for après.” This courtship behaviour is similar to that of the Black Skimmer (Rynchops niger) found in the Americas (Zusi, 1996). Reference: Zusi, R. L., 1996. More

The Indian Skimmer is classified as "vulnerable" and the total population is only about 10,000 birds (Zusi 1996); it is restricted to the Indian subcontinent with much smaller numbers locally in southeast Asia. The African and Indian Skimmers, and the Black Skimmer in South America (two difference races) are primarily denizens of large rivers. North American skimmers are unique in their dependence of sandy coasts and barrier islands. More

The Indian Skimmer (Rynchops albicollis) is a one of the three species that belong to the skimmer family. They are somewhat tern like but like other skimmers, have a short upper mandible and the longer lower mandible that is ploughed along the surface of water as the bird flies over the water to pick aquatic prey. It is found in southern Asia where it is patchily-distributed and declining in numbers. They are mainly found in rivers or estuaries. More

Indian Skimmer (foaled 1984 in Kentucky) is a United Kingdom Thoroughbred racehorse. Bred by MIT graduate Ronald J. Worswick in partnership with Ashford Stud in Versailles, Kentucky, the gray filly is out of the mare Nobilaire and sired by Storm Bird. Her grandsire was Northern Dancer, the top sire of the 20th Century and her damsire was Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe winner, Vaguely Noble. She was named for the rare Indian Skimmer (Rynchops albicollis), a bird. More

* Indian skimmer, Rynchops albicollis Translations device * Finnish: kuorin fi(fi), kuorija fi(fi) person * Finnish: kuorija fi(fi) bird of genus Rynchops * Finnish: saksinokka fi(fi) Retrieved from "http://en.wiktionary. More

* Indian Skimmer Rynchops albicollis All Names * Scientific names * Rynchops albicollis * English * Indian Skimmer Colors Range Countries: Map of countries: PK, IN, BD, MM, IN * Bangladesh * Pakistan * More

Indian Skimmer is therefore very easy to identify being the only skimmer species in India. They, like the Gharial, are exclusive fish-eaters. One of the largest known populations of the Indian Skimmer is located in the National Chambal Sanctuary. They, like the other terns, use the islands to nest in. This charismatic, attractive species is a superb indicator of undisturbed rivers. Here are some Skimmer photos showcasing its habits. More

Indian Skimmer Rynchops albicollis - Indian Skimmer Rynchops albicollis copyright Nikhil Devasar; May 2006; Pong Dam Bird of the Month - March 2002 Skimmers are one of the most subtly adapted bird groups in the world. There are only three species; the american Black, the African and our Indian Skimmer. More

Populations of the Indian skimmer appear to be declining at an alarming rate; the total population was estimated at fewer than 10,000 in 1994, but is thought to be fewer than 5,000 presently. These drastic declines are largely a result of widespread disturbance, exploitation and degradation of lowland rivers and lakes through fishing, transportation, domestic use, and pollution from agricultural and industrial chemicals. Habitat loss reduces both reproductive and foraging success. More

Indian skimmer in flight Indian skimmer in flightPrint factsheet Facts - Kingdom Animalia Phylum Chordata Class Aves Order Charadriiformes Family Rhynchopidae Genus Rynchops (1) Size Length: 40 – 43 cm (2) More

Indian Skimmer (Rynchops albicollis) is a local resident in north and central India. More

Indian Skimmer Rynchops albicollis 2009 IUCN Red List Category (as evaluated by BirdLife International - the official Red List Authority for birds for IUCN): Vulnerable Justification This species is listed as Vulnerable because its population is undergoing a rapid decline as a result of widespread degradation and disturbance of lowland rivers and lakes. Family/Sub-family Laridae Species name author Swainson, 1838 Taxonomic source(s) Sibley and Monroe (1990, 1993) Identification 40-43 cm. More

Aspects of the topic Indian skimmer are discussed in the following additional content sources. * Magazines * Did Skimming Fit the Bill? Natural History, December 2007 Expand Your Research: Try searching magazines and ebooks for "Indian skimmer". No results found. - Type a word or double click on any word to see a definition from the Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary. More

Indian Skimmer Rynchops albicollis = Keoladeo National Park, Bharatpur, Rajasthan, India - Feb, 2003 More

Indian Skimmer - Rynchops albicollis Bec-en-ciseaux à collier = Bec-en-ciseaux à collier La vie des oiseaux Gallery : © Dave Behrens Site web : Gallerie of David Behrens Order : Charadriiformes Family : Laridae Species : Indian Skimmer Reference: dabe3297 Other pictures Exif data Model : Canon EOS D60 Exposure : 1/760 s Aperture More

The Indian Skimmer (Rynchops albicollis), is a species of bird that is found in southern Asia where it is sparsely distributed and is declining in population. Its habitat is large rivers and lakes, swamps, coastal wetlands, and estuaries. It is most common in freshwater, particularly during the breeding season. Breeding colonies are islands or sandy spits, especially on rivers. Its range has become more and more fragmented in recent decades. It is still found in areas of Pakistan, central India, Bangladesh, and Burma. More

Indian Skimmers will have touches of yellow. Please visit Tropical Birds for information about tropical birds. More

* Indian Skimmer Rhynchops albicollis of large rivers in India and southeast Asia. * suborder Alcae The auks. See Sibley-Ahlquist taxonomy for an alternative classification. Example Usage of Skimmer - meloduh: WANT - http://needsupply.com/peep-woven-Skimmer. More

Indian Skimmer, Rynchops albicollis Rynchopidae (SKIMMERS) Indian Skimmer, Rynchops albicollis This photo was taken in: India This photo was taken with: Canon EOS 40D The photo was taken by: Mark Piazzi India reports Birdwatching trip reports from India Birdtours.co. More