Rare bird spotted along Ghaghra River in Uttar Pradesh

Story by  IANS | Posted by  Tripti Nath | Date 22-09-2023
An endangered species of birds, the Indian Skimmer,
An endangered species of birds, the Indian Skimmer,

 

Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh)

An endangered species of birds, the Indian Skimmer, has been spotted along the Ghaghra river at the Dudhwa Tiger reserve by a volunteer at the Habitats Trust.

Ghaghra, a sanctuary for numerous threatened species, is one of the last strongholds for the critically endangered, gharial and Gangetic dolphin in Uttar Pradesh.
 
The sighting occurred five kilomrtre upstream of the Zalim Nagar Bridge on Ghaghra, within the Dhauraha range in the Dudhwa buffer zone.This indicates the importance of Ghaghra River in Bahraich district as a vital habitat for the end angered Indian Skimmer, suggesting possibility of more inhabiting the upstream areas.Indian Skimmer is an unusual looking bird with a striking red-orange beak, the lower bill longer than the upper. It feeds by opening its mouth and skimming the top of river water with its lower bill for fish, larvae and shrimps.