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    Rynchops – Skimmers

    Skimmers’ eyes have vertical slits that act as sunglasses, shielding their retinas from the glare of glittering water and sandy beaches

    An orange bill awkwardly intrudes the black and white business-class plumage in these skimmers. Among three species, the black skimmer has a nose with a black tip, while the other two have a yellowish tip.

    Another exciting thing about their bill is that the lower mandible is longer than the upper mandible. This disproportion helps it to catch the fish while diving, where the lower mandible acts as a bowl and the upper one as a lid. The eyes of these tern-like birds are camouflaged with feathers. The slit in the eyes is a feature exclusive to these birds only.