Skimmers, Noddies, Terns, and Gulls
Indian Skimmer
Rynchops albicollis
- Family
- Skimmers, Noddies, Terns, and Gulls (Laridae)
- Order
- Charadriiformes
Overview
The Indian skimmer (Rynchops albicollis) or Indian scissors-bill, is one of the three species that belong to the 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.
Summary from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Range and habitat
Breeds very locally on major rivers, now mainly north-central and east-central India and central Myanmar; winters to coast of northwestern Indian Peninsula and Bay of Bengal.
Range description: AviList Global Avian Checklist.
Sources and further reading
- Wikipedia: Indian skimmer
- eBird: sightings, maps and photos
- xeno-canto: sound recordings
- Birds of the World: full species account (subscription)
- BirdLife DataZone: status and threats
- IUCN Red List (threat status)
- AviList global checklist (taxonomy)
Last updated September 29, 2026.
