General Information  
The Indian skimmer, also known as the Indian scissor-bill, measures 40–43 cm in length and is easily identifiable by its drooping, bright orange bill, where the lower mandible extends farther than the upper. It has a distinctive black cap, black mantle, and black wings, which contrast sharply with its white underparts. In flight, it displays a white trailing edge on its wings and a short, forked tail with blackish central feathers. Non-breeding adults appear duller, with browner upper parts. Juveniles have a dusky orange bill tipped with black, a paler brownish-grey crown and nape with dark mottling, and a brownish-grey mantle with whitish or pale buff-fringed scapulars and wing coverts. 

The species primarily inhabits large, sandy, lowland rivers, lakes, and adjacent marshes. During the non-breeding season, it is found in estuaries and coastal areas. Indian skimmers breed in colonies on expansive sandbars and islands, requiring optimal water levels—high enough to protect nests from land predators but low enough to prevent flooding. Birds begin returning to their breeding colonies from February onwards, depending on water levels.

After breeding, a significant portion of the population migrates to coastal areas, forming large gatherings before returning to rivers. Some individuals, however, remain near their breeding rivers, within connected river systems, or may wander extensively during the non-breeding season. During this time, they engage in activities such as roosting, preening, feeding, and socializing with other birds.

Threats
- Rivers and lakes are increasingly exploited and degraded due to irrigation schemes, transportation, domestic use, and pollution from agricultural and industrial chemicals.

- The growing control and demand for water resources cause significant fluctuations in water levels within breeding areas. This variation negatively impacts the species, as it is highly sensitive to both flooding and terrestrial predators.
- Low water levels and reduced flow rates connect nesting sandbars to the riverbanks, leading to increased predation by free-ranging dogs and jackals, as well as trampling by cattle.
- Sand mining poses a growing threat to breeding colonies, potentially disrupting nesting-island formation in the long term and causing direct disturbances to breeding sites.
-  Mismanagement of excess water release from dams leads to the loss of breeding colonies due to flooding.