Recently, about 150 to 200 Indian Skimmer birds have been seen for the first time in Lower Manair Dam (Telangana). Generally, these birds migrate to Kakinada port in Andhra Pradesh during winter.
Indian Skimmer
- Scientific name: Rhyncops albicollis
- Physical characteristics:
- Length: 40-43 cm
- Upper body: Black
- Forehead, neck and lower body: White
- Beak: Long, thick, dark orange in colour with yellow colour at the tip.
- Food: It feeds on fish, small crustaceans and insect larvae.
Habitat
- Earlier it was found throughout the Indian subcontinent, but at present it is restricted to India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal and Myanmar only.
- It is considered extinct in Lao PDR, Cambodia and Vietnam.
- Population: In the year 2021 BirdLife International has estimated the total population to be between 3,700 and 4,400 individuals.
- IUCN Status: Listed as Endangered in the IUCN Red List.
The existence of the Indian Skimmer is threatened due to the following reasons
- Loss of aquatic habitat
- Dam construction on rivers
- Obstruction of river flow
- Indiscriminate hunting
Steps taken for conservation
Skimmer’s Protectors Programme
- This programme was started in the year 2020, which is a community-based conservation initiative.
- Under this, local people are being trained to protect the nesting colonies of skimmers and other riverine nesting birds from predators and trampling by cattle.
Indian Skimmer Count
- Bombay Natural History Society (BHNS) in collaboration with Bird Count India has launched a citizen science initiative called ‘Indian Skimmer Count’.
- It involves coordinated census at selected sites in two phases to understand the status and distribution of the population in India and other countries in South East Asia.