BNHS Launches Indian Skimmer Conservation Project

The Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS) on January 14, 2026, launched the Indian Skimmer Conservation Project, providing a structured and organised framework to ongoing efforts aimed at conserving rare bird species along the riverine stretches of the Ganga.

The initiative highlights a shift in river conservation approaches, emphasising that protection efforts are no longer limited to water quality or aquatic species alone, but are increasingly focused on the holistic conservation of the entire river ecosystem, including avifauna.

The Indian Skimmer (Rynchops albicollis) is a distinctive waterbird inhabiting marshes, lakes and rivers of the Indian Subcontinent. It is easily identifiable by its bright orange-yellow bill, with an upper mandible shorter than the lower, an adaptation perfectly suited to its unique feeding technique of skimming the water surface to catch prey.

Recently, the Indian Skimmer has been uplisted to ‘Endangered’ on the IUCN Red List, reflecting a significant decline in its population. Once widely distributed across the Indian Subcontinent, its current range is now limited to India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal and Myanmar. As a breeding species, it is almost entirely restricted to India, with only occasional breeding reported from western Bangladesh.

Significantly, the Indian Skimmer was chosen as the mascot of the Maha Kumbh 2025, as the species is found at the Sangam, the confluence of the Ganga and Yamuna rivers in Prayagraj, symbolising the close link between river health and biodiversity conservation.