(Nikon D500, 200-500mm lens; 1/640, f/6.3, ISO360; hand-held; on the banks of Jia Bhoroli (Kameng) river, Nameri National Park, 04/03/23)
Ibisbill (Ibidorhyncha struthersii): We saw this bird while rafting down the gentle rapids of the Jia Bhoroli river, south of the Assam-Arunachal Pradesh border. It was well camouflaged among the stones on the bank and despite the guide pointing in its direction, we took some time to actually spot it there. It remained motionless all the while that we took to observe it and move downstream. Ibisbill is a distinctive shorebird usually seen foraging among the stony and shingle riverbanks and riverbeds of the high plateau of Central Asia and the Himalayas, that support very little vegetation. It uses its long, red, down-curved bill to probe under the stones on stream beds for terrestrial and aquatic invertebrates and small fish.
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