India’s badlands turn perfect perch for Indian skimmers

"The Ganga and Yamuna are holy but there’s a lot of pollution,’’ says my guide Dinesh of Mela Kothi, adding, “the Chambal is cursed, but the water is healthy.”

The clean and healthy water of the Chambal is life support to a large variety of wildlife which is on the brink of extinction. Just about an hour’s drive from the Taj Mahal, the “infamous” ravines of Chambal start near Jerar (Bah) of Uttar Pradesh. Till 1980s, the Chambal ravines reminded one of <em>Chambal Ke dakus</em> like Phoolan Devi, Nirbhay Gujjar, Pan Singh Tomar etc.

The movie <em>Pan Singh Tomar</em>, is a story of a national record holding athlete who became a dacoit in the Chambal. In the film, when Paan Singh Tomar is on the run from the law in the Chambal ravines, the audience is treated to a fleeting glimpse of a jackal. Moviegoers may not realize that the jackal is just one of the 60 mammal species that are found in the Chambal ravines. More than 500 birds, fish, reptiles and mammals are found in this region, out of which 36 species are listed on the IUCN Red List as threatened by extinction. The reason for this astonishing number of species flourishing here is the wide diversity of unique habitats in the Chambal region.

<img class="wp-image-23574 size-full" src="https://indianarrative.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/IndianSkimmers_Flying2.jpg" alt="IndianSkimmers_Flying2" width="1000" height="414" /> Indian skimmers fly over the Chambal river (Photo: Mrityunjoy Kumar Jha)

As the Chambal river is the only large water body for miles, innumerable water birds flock to the river. In the winter, migratory birds add an extra dash of color. Today we were looking for one of most colorful birds of India–Indian Skimmer (Rynchops albicollis) or Indian scissors bill. This bird with pointed black wings, white underparts, a unique beak and bright orange feet features on many a birder’s wish list. A thick, orange-yellow bill with a slightly longer lower mandible (jaw) is one of the most striking features of the Indian skimmer.

India holds the only known remaining breeding grounds for this species and the National Chambal Sanctuary (NCS) is one among very few locations in India that hosts significant breeding populations of Indian skimmer. Elsewhere, it is limited to a handful of nesting colonies on the rivers Mahanadi, Ganga and Son.

Our guide Dinesh suggested that to photograph Indian skimmers we will have to travel 3-4 hours down the Chambal stream because this specie prefers secluded place for nesting. The day dawned bright and clear and we headed off to the river, whose ravines for a couple of km have been incorporated into the national Chambal sanctuary which stretch more than 400 km and form the border between Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh.

<img class="wp-image-23572 size-full" src="https://indianarrative.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/IndianSkimmers_Cacaphony.jpg" alt="IndianSkimmers_Cacaphony " width="1000" height="662" /> Indian skimmers create a medley on a sand bank in the Chambal river (Photo: Mrityunjoy Kumar Jha)

On the way we saw Gangetic Dolphins, another rarity, whose presence in the Chabal means that the water is healthy. After a two-hour ride, our guide Dinesh told us: “See there they are… on that sandbar, in the middle of the river.”

It was a group of 50, with more flying around. As our boat approached, a flock of these colorful birds took flight, putting on a synchronised air show with their wings literally skimming the water’s edge. Suddenly, they came landed on the sand. The boat’s engine was switched off and cautiously we began heading towards the flock. Twenty minutes later we were at the right spot. It was a treat to see a large flock of skimmers with their curved orange beaks gleaming in the sun. They sat just ten feet away from us, making noises and quarrelling with each other. These sand bars support the breeding activities of not just the skimmer but also other bird like river terns, black bellied terns and many others.

The Indian skimmer flies low over water bodies with its scissor-like beak open. It gets the name from this skimming behaviour. As the bird flies, it feels for the prey with its lower mandible that cuts through the water surface. Finally, with a dip of the head, it scoops the prey ─ mainly fish, insect larvae, and crustaceans like shrimps. In the recent State of India’s Birds 2020 report, Indian skimmers are one of the 101 species categorised as ‘Of High Conservation Concern’ in the country and a key species in six Indian states. Despite their dwindling numbers and importance in the ecosystem, they are one of the least studied species in the Indian subcontinent.

<img class="wp-image-23570 size-full" src="https://indianarrative.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/IndianSkimmers_Formations.jpg" alt="IndianSkimmers_Formations " width="1000" height="669" /> Indian skimmers fly in various formations over the Chambal river (Photo: Mrityunjoy Kumar Jha)

Parveen Shaikh, a researcher biologist from the Bombay Natural History Society, has been researching the population status and breeding ecology by marking the adults and chicks with metal rings and coloured flags, for understanding their movement. “We want to understand whether these birds have site fidelity to their nesting grounds,” she explained. Site fidelity is the tendency to stay or habitually return to the same nesting area. “More than 15% marked birds returned to the same island where they nested previously,” she added.

“Indian skimmers are habitat specialists,” says Parveen. They play a crucial role in maintaining the ecological balance of the riverine ecosystem. During her study Parveen and her team observed Indian skimmers sharing their nesting colonies with black-bellied terns, river terns, little terns, river lapwings, and little pratincoles. To protect Indian skimmer nests, researchers have implemented community-based conservation with the support of State Forest Departments of Odisha; and Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan. They have also involved youths from the nearby villages as nest guardians.

<img class="wp-image-23571 size-full" src="https://indianarrative.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/IndianSkimmers_Survival_Hope.jpg" alt="Hope for Indian skimmer" width="1000" height="658" /> With conservation efforts and community involvement, there is hope for the Indian skimmer (Photo: Mrityunjoy Kumar Jha)

So far, the Chambal has managed to escape widespread development and the related inevitable pollution. Interestingly, it has also escaped pollution as it is considered unholy. The epic Mahabharta is one of many sources which talk about ancient curses—of a ghastly river that runs with the blood of slaughtered cows. Ironically, this has saved it from our pious population and saved it the fate that has befallen other rivers around it.

Chambal is a haven for some of our endangered animal and bird species, and an important part of the eco-system..