The Riveting Story Of The Indian Skimmer's Revival From The Brink Of Extinction
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The Indian Skimmer, a striking black and white bird with a long orange bill, is a low flyer, with its lower mandible slicing the water to 'skim' for fish
On a quiet March morning in 2023, two young birders, Yudish and Ankit, stood motionless near Haiderpur Wetland in western Uttar Pradesh, binoculars trained on a distant sandbar. 'Is that… an Indian Skimmer?" one whispered.
It was a breath-taking moment. The rare Schedule I bird, which numbered between 3,700 and 4,400 globally as of 2021, had returned to breed in India's Ganga basin.
The Indian Skimmer, a striking black and white bird with a long orange bill, is a low flyer, with its lower mandible slicing the water to 'skim' for fish. It breeds only on undisturbed sandbars in large rivers and wetlands. However, it faces grave threats from habitat loss, lack of awareness among riverine communities, flooding or even the slightest fluctuations in water levels.
Driven by this urgency, Ashish Loya, a BITS Pilani alumnus and former finance professional in New York, sprang into action. An Art of Living teacher and a long-time birdwatcher, Loya had been documenting the Haiderpur Wetland's biodiversity for years. He was inspired by spiritual leader Sri Sri Ravi Shankar's message that 'every creature on the planet brings a certain vibration. And even if one creature goes missing, the planet would be poorer for it. Every species plays an important role in maintaining the balance on the planet". Loya believed this was a test of both nature and spirit.
Upon being informed about the sighting by Yudish, Loya knew he had to act fast. Within days, he submitted a proposal to the Wildlife Trust of India's Rapid Action Projects (RAP). Emergency funding followed and, soon, a locally led conservation project took flight.
Loya assembled a team of eight youth volunteers from a pool of 25 trained birders, many introduced to conservation through Art of Living workshops. These 'Nest Guardians' set up a base near the nesting site, building a temporary hut on the riverbank. They worked in shifts, monitoring the birds around the clock.
Ashish Gujjar, part of Loya's team, and a field assistant at WTI, was instrumental in putting together and leading the team. Gujjar explained, 'We marked the nests with small toothpicks from a safe distance to avoid disturbing the birds," he recalls. They tracked everything: when eggs were laid, when they hatched, and whether the chicks survived. Dogs, curious tourists, even fishermen posed risks. The team also began regular coordination with the irrigation department, pleading for timely alerts to avoid abrupt water releases.
But on May 6, 2023, without warning, water was released upstream from Haridwar. It split the sandbar into two. Most nests were gone by morning. 'We were heartbroken," says Loya. 'But we weren't giving up."
Incredibly, the Skimmers returned within days, choosing the same sandbar to try again. This time, 10 eggs were laid. The team used sandbags to guard against further erosion and constructed a floating sturdy banana-stem raft, an improvised platform, hoping fledglings could climb on it in case the sandbars got flooded again. Unfortunately, the rafts did not last. Only four chicks survived the initial weeks.
In June 2023, just days before fledging, another surge of river water washed away the remaining chicks.
'That night was the hardest," admits Loya. 'I got the volunteers to meditate, rest and recoup their energies because the journey ahead of us was a long one and we couldn't lose hope yet."
Loya adds, 'They'd seen the full nesting cycle up close by now. So, they were better prepared to save the nests if the birds returned."
Lessons from a Lost Season
By 2024, monitoring had become second nature for the group. But despite consistent scouting, no active nesting sites could be located. One promising flock of 74 birds was spotted, only to be driven away by encroaching farming activity near the sandbar.
Then came a breakthrough in 2025.
While leading a birdwatching tour, Gujjar noticed a group of 150 Skimmers behaving unusually. Some were carrying fish inland, a tell-tale sign they were feeding. He traced their flight path, combed the area, and found 15 active nests on a remote downstream sandbar.
This time, the intervention was swift. The team reinforced the site with sandbags, limited human access, and worked closely with the irrigation department to maintain stable water levels.
Fifty-eight chicks finally made it through.
'The joy was immense," says Loya. 'Not just because of the numbers, but because we finally had proof that local efforts can work."
The ripple effects of this small project are already visible. The Nest Guardians now conduct awareness drives in nearby villages, educating boatmen and farmers on the ecological significance of the Skimmer. Art of Living workshops have helped cultivate a deeper appreciation for river biodiversity among communities that rely on it daily.
The project has been appreciated by experts nationally and internationally as well. Ornithologist Carol Inskipp remarked, 'It's encouraging to see local leadership in action." Prof Bivash Pandav of the Wildlife Institute of India praised the initiative, calling it 'a model for grassroots conservation".
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In saving the Skimmers, the Art of Living volunteers didn't just protect a bird. They restored faith in what's possible. Once a neglected area, the Haiderpur wetlands have now been designated as India's 47th Ramsar Site.
First Published:
June 04, 2025, 13:41 IST
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