Occurrence of an Indian Skimmer Rynchops albicollis at Abdasa: a noteworthy record from western Kutch, Gujarat, India

Rynchops albicollis, commonly referred to as the Indian Skimmer or Indian Scissors-bill, is the only skimmer species found in the Indian subcontinent. Its small global population, with 2,450–2,900 mature individuals, is experiencing a continuous decline, and the species was up-listed to ‘Endangered’ by the IUCN Red List in 2020. The species is considered a winter visitor to southwestern Gujarat, with the Saurashtra region and the Little Rann of Kutch serving as its primary wintering sites. However, its occurrence in the larger Great Rann of Kutch and the associated Kutch District has remained rare, with only 10 documented sightings over 71 years (1947–2018). The recent observation of the species in a coastal wetland near Jakhau in Abdasa Taluk marks its westernmost occurrence in Gujarat to date. This is also an addition to the checklist of threatened species recorded in the Bustard Landscape of Kutch. Given the connectivity between northern Indian breeding populations and non-breeding sites in Gujarat—such as Surendranagar, Jamnagar, and Anand—this sighting further underscores the significance of such seasonal coastal wetlands. It also emphasises the need to monitor these coastal wetlands to better understand the distribution of this endangered species in western India, especially in Kutch.