SCISSOR – BILLS (THE INDIAN SKIMMER)

The Indian skimmer (Rhyncops albicollis) occurs on the larger rivers of India and Burma, but is rare in South India. They do not frequent the seacoast very much, but are found mostly on all the larger rivers. They sometimes congregate in large flocks, numbering about fifty individuals, but they also occur in pairs sometimes. On account of the extraordinary shape of their bill, they are also known as the Scissor-bills. They fly up and down close to the surface of the water and feed on the tiny shrimps and fish fry on the surface as they skim along the surface of the water with the aid of their knife-shaped lower bill.