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{{Short description|Species of bird}}
{{For|the horse named after this bird|Indian Skimmer (horse)}}
{{Speciesbox
| status = EN
| status_system = IUCN3.1
| status_ref = <ref name="iucn status 19 November 2021">{{cite iucn |author=BirdLife International |date=2020 |title=''Rynchops albicollis'' |volume=2020 |page=e.T22694268A178970109 |doi=10.2305/IUCN.UK.2020-3.RLTS.T22694268A178970109.en |access-date=19 November 2021}}</ref>
| image = Skimmer1.jpg
| genus = Rynchops
| species = albicollis
| authority = [[William Swainson|Swainson]], 1838
| synonyms = ''Rhynchops albicollis''
}}

The '''Indian skimmer''' or '''Indian scissors-bill''' ('''''Rynchops albicollis''''') is one of the three species that belong to the [[Skimmer (bird)|skimmer]] genus ''Rynchops'' in the family Laridae. 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.

== Description ==
[[File:SkimmerBill.jpg|thumb|left|The bill is thin and knife-like to reduce resistance to water]]
This bird has a black cap and orange bill that contrasts with the white body. With its long wings it looks tern-like and is about 40–43 cm long with a wingspan of 108 cm. The upper parts of the body are dark black and the underparts are white. The black cap on the head leaves the forehead and nape white. The wings are long and pointed with a white trailing edge. The short, forked tail is white with blackish central feathers. The long, thick [[beak|bill]] is orange with a yellow tip and, like the other skimmers, has a lower [[mandible]] which is longer than the upper mandible. The legs and feet are red.<ref name=pcr/> The lower bill is knife-like and flexible and the tip appears truncated. Young birds have bills that appear normal and with age the lower mandible grows.<ref name=whistler>{{cite book|author=Whistler, Hugh|year=1949|title=Popular handbook of Indian birds. Edition 4| publisher= Gurney and Jackson, London|pages=487–489|url=https://archive.org/stream/popularhandbooko033226mbp#page/n537/mode/2up}}</ref> The upper mandible is capable of considerable mobility.<ref name=hbk/>

Non-breeding adults are duller and browner than breeding birds. [[Juvenile (organism)|Juveniles]] are grey-brown above with pale fringes to the feathers on the back and wings. The head has more white than in adult birds and the bill is orange-brown with a dark tip.<ref name=pcr/>

It has a high, nasal, screaming ''kyap-kyap'' call but is usually very silent.<ref name=pcr/>

The [[black skimmer]] of the [[Americas]] is larger with a black tip to the bill. The [[African skimmer]] is smaller with more black in the tail and no white collar.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://archive.org/stream/gamesshoreandwat029723mbp#page/n229/mode/2up/search/albicollis|page=230|title=Game, shore, and water birds of India|author=Le Messurier, A|year=1904|publisher=W. Thacker & Co|via=Internet Archive|access-date=12 January 2025}}</ref>{{additional citations needed|date=January 2025}} In older times the Indian skimmer was also known as the Indian scissors-bill.<ref name=heb>{{cite book|url=https://archive.org/stream/handbooktobirdso00barn#page/434/mode/2up/search/albicollis|page=434|author=Barnes, HE|title=Handbook to the birds of the Bombay Presidency|publisher=Calcutta Central Press|year=1885|via=Internet Archive|access-date=12 January 2025}}</ref>

==Distribution and habitat ==
[[File:Indian Skimmer (8582799716).jpg|thumbnail|left|An Indian skimmer seen skimming for food in the [[River Chambal]] near [[Dholpur]], [[Rajasthan]].]]
It is found on large rivers and lakes, swamps and coastal wetlands such as estuaries. It is most common on freshwater, particularly during the breeding season. Breeding colonies are on islands or sandy spits, usually in rivers. Its range has become increasingly fragmented in recent decades. It is still found in parts of Pakistan in the Indus river system of [[Kashmir]] and northern and central [[India]] along the Ganges,<ref>{{cite journal|author=Jha, S.|year=2006|title=Records of some rare birds from Farakka Barrage (West Bengal, India)|journal=Indian Birds|volume=2|issue=4|page=106|url=http://www.indianbirds.in/pdfs/Records%20of%20some%20rare%20birds%20from%20Farakka%20Barrage%20%28West%20Bengal,%20India%29.pdf|access-date=2010-01-09|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120223225057/http://www.indianbirds.in/pdfs/Records%20of%20some%20rare%20birds%20from%20Farakka%20Barrage%20(West%20Bengal,%20India).pdf|archive-date=2012-02-23|url-status=dead}}</ref> [[Bangladesh]] and [[Burma]] and formerly occurred in [[Laos]], [[Cambodia]] and [[Vietnam]]. It is a scarce non-breeding visitor to [[Nepal]] and has occurred as a [[vagrancy in birds|vagrant]] in [[Oman]] and central [[Thailand]] with old records from [[Iran]] and [[China]]. At present, the last strongholds of the Indian Skimmer are [[India]], and [[Bangladesh]].<ref>{{cite journal|author=Das,D.K. |year=2015| title= Breeding status of Indian Skimmer ''Rynchops albicollis'' in the National Chambal Sanctuary, India.| journal= Indian Birds |volume=10 |issue=2|page=53|url=http://www.indianbirds.in/pdfs/IB_10_2_Das_Skimmer.pdf}}</ref> They are more widespread in winter and are found in coastal estuaries of western and eastern India as far south as Karwar on the western coast and; Chennai and Pondicherry on the eastern coast exist.<ref>{{cite journal|title=Indian Skimmer Rynchops albicollis: a recent record from Tamil Nadu|journal=BirdingASIA |volume=13 |year=2010|page=98|url=http://orientalbirdclub.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/Vikas-Caught.pdf|author1=Madhav, Vikas |author2=D. Nagarajan}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal|author=Stairmand, DS |year=1970 |title= Occurrence of the Indian Skimmer or Scissorbill (''Rhynchops albicollis'' Swainson) in Salsette Island| journal=J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc. | volume=67 | issue=3|page=571|url=https://biodiversitylibrary.org/page/47820173}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal|author=Sivasubramanian, C |year=1992|title= Indian Skimmer ''Rynchops albicollis'' Swainson and Black Stork ''Ciconia nigra'' (Linn.) - new additions to the avifauna of Keoladeo National Park, Bharatpur|journal= J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc.|volume= 89|issue=2|pages=252–253|url=https://biodiversitylibrary.org/page/48732716}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal|author1=Gopi, GV|author2=B Pandav|year=2007|title=Avifauna of Bhitarkanika mangroves, India|journal=Zoos' Print Journal|volume=22|issue=10|pages=2839–2847|doi=10.11609/jott.zpj.1716.2839-47|doi-access=free}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal|author1=Majumdar, N |author2=Roy, CS |year= 1993| title= Extension of range of the Indian Skimmer, ''Rynchops albicollis'' Swainson (Aves: Laridae) | journal= J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc. |volume=90 | issue=3| page=511|url=https://biodiversitylibrary.org/page/48609782}}</ref>
[[File:MadrasSeaCrow.jpg|thumb|upright|80px|A 1713 illustration in [[John Ray]]s ''Synopsis methodica avium & piscium'' with a description of the "Madrass Sea Crow" by Edward Buckley]]
Breeding colonies are known from the '''Chambal river''' area, an area that is of importance for the [[gharial]].<ref name=gopi>{{cite journal|title=Observations on breeding Indian Skimmers ''Rynchops albicollis'' in the National Chambal Sanctuary, Uttar Pradesh, India|author=Sundar, K S Gopi|year=2004|journal=Forktail|url=http://www.orientalbirdclub.org/publications/forktail/20pdfs/Sundar-Skimmers.pdf|volume=20|pages=89–90|access-date=2010-01-09|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081011024346/http://www.orientalbirdclub.org/publications/forktail/20pdfs/Sundar-Skimmers.pdf|archive-date=2008-10-11|url-status=dead}}</ref> Sand banks are important for the nesting of Gharials.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://archive.org/stream/twoyearsinjungle00hornuoft#page/34/mode/2up/search/albicollis|page=34| title=Two years in the Jungle|author=Hornaday, WT|year=1904|publisher=[[Charles Scribner's Sons]], New York}}</ref> They have also been documented as breeding on the banks of the Mahanadi river at the Munduli barrage, Chandaka Wildlife Division in Cuttack.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sanctuaryasia.com/conservation/field-reports/10350-birds-in-the-sand.html|title=Birds In The Sand|website=Sanctuary Asia|access-date=2016-12-07|archive-date=2019-01-02|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190102050809/http://www.sanctuaryasia.com/conservation/field-reports/10350-birds-in-the-sand.html|url-status=dead}}</ref>

== Behaviour ==

[[File:IndianSkimmerEgg.jpg|thumb|left|Egg colouration|upright|100px]]

The birds forage for food by flying low over the water with the bill open and the lower mandible skimming through the water. When a fish is encountered, it moves up the lower mandible and the bird raises the upper mandible and snaps it with a movement of the head.<ref name=hbk/> They forage in small flocks and often associate with terns. They feed mainly on [[fish]] but also take small [[crustacean]]s and [[insect]] [[larva]]e. They often feed at dusk and can be very nocturnal.<ref name=pcr/>

The breeding season is mainly March and May. They breed in colonies of up to 40 pairs, often with terns and other birds. The [[nest]] is a simple scrape on the ground mainly on open sand banks that provide unobstructed views of any oncoming predators.<ref name=pcr>{{cite book|first1=PC|last1=Rasmussen|first2=JC|last2=Anderton|year=2005| title=Birds of South Asia: The Ripley Guide. Volume 2|publisher= Smithsonian Institution & Lynx Edicions|page=201|isbn=8487334660}}</ref> The eggs are buff or white with brown blotches and streaks.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://archive.org/stream/catalogueofcolle01brit#page/202/mode/1up/ |title=Catalogue of the collection of birds' eggs in the British Museum. Volume 1|author=Oates, EW|page=202|year=1901| publisher=British Museum}}</ref> There are three to five eggs in a clutch. They may indulge in a low-level of inter-specific [[brood parasitism]], laying their eggs in the nests of [[river tern]]s (''Sterna aurantia'').<ref>{{cite journal|doi=10.1080/00063657.2018.1443056|title=Occurrence of Indian Skimmer Rynchops albicollis eggs in River Tern Sterna aurantia nests|journal=Bird Study|pages=140–142|year=2018|last1=Debata|first1=Subrat|last2=Kar|first2=Tuhinansu|last3=Palei|first3=Himanshu Shekhar|volume=65|s2cid=90306844}}</ref> The birds tend to incubate the eggs more during the cooler hours of the day and are often away from the nest during the hotter parts of the day.<ref>{{cite book|page=378 |url=https://archive.org/stream/cu31924000044978#page/n401/mode/2up/search/rhynchops| title=Nests and eggs of Indian birds. Volume 1 |author= Hume, AO |date=1889 |publisher=R H Porter, London}}</ref> Incubating adults are said to indulge in belly-soaking behaviour to cool the eggs.<ref>{{cite journal|author=Maclean GL |year=1974| title= Belly-soaking in the Charadriiformes| journal= J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc. |volume=72|pages=74–82|url=https://biodiversitylibrary.org/page/48287210}}</ref> A bird at nest was once observed to pick up (and drop into water) an intruding chick of a [[River tern (bird)|river tern]] using its leg.<ref name=hbk>{{cite book|last1=Ali|first1=S|first2=SD|last2=Ripley|year=1981|title= Handbook of the birds of India and Pakistan. Volume 3|edition=2nd|pages=74–76|publisher=Oxford University Press|oclc=1224667606}}</ref>

== Conservation ==

The species was formerly widely distributed in the rivers of the Indian subcontinent<ref>{{cite book|page=847|url=https://archive.org/stream/birdsofindiabein03jerd#page/846/mode/2up/search/albicollis | title=Birds of India. Volume 3|year=1864|author=Jerdon, TC| publisher= George Wyman & Co}}</ref> and along the river systems of Myanmar and Mekong. Records from Laos,<ref>Harmand, F. J. (1878-1879) Les Laos et les populations sauvages de l'Indochine. Tour de Monde 38(965-967): 1-48, 39(1006-1010): 214-370 (1997 translation Laos and the hill tribes of Indochina. Bangkok: White Lotus.)</ref> Cambodia and Vietnam are mainly from the 19th century and recent records are rare.<ref>{{cite journal|author=Evans, TD|year=2001|journal=Forktail|volume=17|pages=21–28|title=Ornithological records from Savannakhet Province, Lao PDR, January–July 1997|url=http://www.orientalbirdclub.org/publications/forktail/17pdfs/Evans-Savannakhet.pdf|access-date=2010-01-09|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081011235934/http://www.orientalbirdclub.org/publications/forktail/17pdfs/Evans-Savannakhet.pdf|archive-date=2008-10-11|url-status=dead}}</ref>

The population is now mainly within India and Pakistan and is estimated to be about 6,000-10,000 individuals. The decreasing population has led it to being classed as [[Endangered species|Endangered]] by the [[IUCN]].<ref name="iucn status 19 November 2021" /> It is threatened by habitat loss and degradation, pollution and disturbance by humans. Most colonies are unprotected but some lie within nature reserves such as [[National Chambal Sanctuary]] in India.<ref name=gopi/>

==References==
{{Reflist|2}}

== External links ==
{{Wikispecies|Rhynchops albicollis}}
* [http://ibc.lynxeds.com/species/indian-skimmer-rynchops-albicollis Photos and videos]
* [http://www.orientalbirdimages.org/search.php?action=searchresult&Bird_ID=940 Oriental Bird Images: Indian Skimmer] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190102051105/http://www.orientalbirdimages.org/search.php?action=searchresult&Bird_ID=940 |date=2019-01-02 }}

{{Taxonbar|from=Q972429}}

[[Category:Rynchops|Indian skimmer]]
[[Category:Birds of Cambodia]]
[[Category:Birds of India|Indian skimmer]]
[[Category:Birds of Myanmar]]
[[Category:Birds of Pakistan]]
[[Category:Birds described in 1838|Indian skimmer]]
[[Category:Taxa named by William Swainson]]

Indian skimmer - Revision history

imported>Aa77zz: remove John in Swainson