Indian Skimmer skimming

An earlier post describes the Indian Skimmer (Rynchops albicollis) foraging by skimming the water in flight with the lower mandible submerged in the water. Once a prey item touches the lower mandible, it immediately closes shut, thus grasping the prey.

We now have an image of the actual skimming – the lower mandible partially submerged in the water, thanks to Ender. He photographed the Indian Skimmer in action at 1830 hours, when it was quite dark.

This post is a cooperative effort between NaturePixels.org and BESG to bring the study of bird behaviour through photography to a wider audience.