Indian Skimmer (Rynchops albicollis)
Illustration redrawn by AI from a real photograph

Indian Skimmer

Rynchops albicollis Swainson, 1838

164 gWeight

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.

Busiest months: September · Most records: India, Bangladesh, Thailand

Endangered

Where and when it's recorded

Busiest months: September · Most records: India, Bangladesh, Thailand

Indian Skimmer has been recorded at 24 of the 8,276 birding hotspots we track, in 7 countries and regions.

Records by month Northern Hemisphere

Where it's recorded most

  1. Kavdi PatIndia55 records
  2. Pulicat Lake – [TN Section]India22 records
  3. Nalsarovar Bird SanctuaryIndia11 records
More places
  1. Padma River & CharsBangladesh9 records
  2. Mamachi Wadi Beach, ArnalaIndia8 records
  3. Khijadiya Bird SanctuaryIndia8 records
  4. Nijhum Dwip NP – Domar CharBangladesh7 records
  5. Bharatpur – Keoladeo Ghana NPIndia7 records
  6. Laem Phak Bia – Environmental Research & Development ProjectThailand6 records
  7. Haiderpur Wetlands and Bijnor BarrageIndia5 records

Countries and regions with the most records

IndiaBangladeshThailandNepalPakistanOmanMyanmar (Burma)

eBird records via GBIF up to 2024-12-31. A record means someone listed it; more records partly mean more birders, not more birds.

About

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.

Excerpt from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0 · authors · Read more on Wikipedia

Questions

How big is the Indian Skimmer?

The Indian Skimmer weighs around 164 g.

Where does the Indian Skimmer live?

Its breeding range: Oriental: local on major rivers, now mainly north-central, east-central India, central Myanmar. It is most often recorded in India, Bangladesh and Thailand.

When is the best time to see the Indian Skimmer?

At the hotspots we track, it is recorded most in September (Northern Hemisphere).

Is the Indian Skimmer endangered?

The IUCN Red List classifies the Indian Skimmer as Endangered.

What does the Indian Skimmer eat?

Main food: Fish, shrimp & shellfish.

What family is the Indian Skimmer in?

It belongs to the family Gulls, Terns, Skimmers (Laridae), order Charadriiformes.

At a glance

Weight
164 g
Habitat
Rivers & streams
Diet
Fish, shrimp & shellfish
Lifestyle
Feeds in the air
Migration
Partial migrant
Conservation
Endangered
More measurements
Wing
372 mm
Tail
108 mm
Bill
85 mm
Tarsus
26 mm

Averages from the AVONET dataset; length from field guides where available.

Range

Oriental: local on major rivers, now mainly north-central, east-central India, central Myanmar

Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2

Classification

Genus
Rynchops

Other birds in the genus Rynchops

African SkimmerAfrican SkimmerRynchops flavirostrisBlack SkimmerBlack SkimmerRynchops nigerAtlantic White TernAtlantic White TernGygis albaLittle White TernLittle White TernGygis microrhynchaBrown NoddyBrown NoddyAnous stolidusLesser NoddyLesser NoddyAnous tenuirostrisBlack NoddyBlack NoddyAnous minutusGrey NoddyGrey NoddyAnous albivittaBlue NoddyBlue NoddyAnous ceruleusAleutian TernAleutian TernOnychoprion aleuticus
Indian Skimmer

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Free to use with credit: “Illustration: Bird Album (birdalbum.com)”. Drawn by AI from a reference photo by Saurabh Agrawal. ↗

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