the 3 types of the scissors-beaks looks even longer wings and very big, at the side compressed beaks like outsize terns in the relationship as well. they form an independent family of the Möwenartigen; one sometimes summarizes it also with the terns.
Beak-function The sub-beak is with adult scissors-beaks far over the top of the upper beak-part to one reaches, narrow and sharp-edged edge extends. The horn-beak grows continually further since this top wears out in the course of time. With flat flaps, scissors-beaks fly above the water-surface there barely and hold only the top of the sub-beak into the water, so that it cuts it like a ship-bow. The birds locate planktonisch living invertebrates and smaller fish its loot - small -, not with the eyes but durchpflügen the water "on well luck", until a worthwhile object pushes against the long sub-beak and upwards-glides through the energy at it. Immediately, the beak snaps and holds on to the loot in the grip. Still, the birds swallow its loot-animals, with what bigger fish vanish head in the pharynx in front, in the flight. Scissors-beaks hunt also during the twilight and at night, if the animal plankton hovers densely under the surface.
Way of life Scissors-beaks live sociably, outside the incubation and in its winter-quarters often in large flocks, at riversides, seas, lagoons and Meeresküsten, where it in small groups in the quiet one, flat-waters shore-draw near on food-search goes. In flood and strong surf, the birds rest in groups on sandbanks in sure distance of the water. Peculiarly, it looks, if it itself all on that occasion into the same direction, the head to the wind, turns.
Shape The plumage of the scissors-beaks is colored primarily black-and-white, the short legs are shining red. The slit-shaped pupils and the strongly extended sub-beak are unique formations and don't have something similar among all birds.
Collar-scissors-beak (Rhynchops albicollis)) With this 40 cm long bird of the big Asian river-runs (from India and Burma to southeast-Asia), the forehead, head and neck-sides are down put as white bond, the beak is yellow, at the basis reddish.
Brood The birds brood approximately in the time of middle February until middle April. The nest consists of one flat ones, ungepolsterten ground-hollow in sandy shore-roving or before Ãberflutung, dry sandbanks, secures. Often, these scissors-beaks brood in company with different tern-types.
The nest consists of 3-4 eggs (4,1 x 3 cm) and becomes erbrütet quite predominant from the female, the male takes part only irregularly in the brood-business. The alto-birds frequently drench its stomach-plumage with water and sprinkle eggs and squabs to the refrigeration. The boys carry a dense Dunenkleid, its beak is initially "normally" trained and horn-colored; it develops slowly into the typical form of the alto-birds (waiter-beak) first: 5,8-7,5 cm, sub-beak: 7,8-10 cm. With danger, the sand-colored squabs lie down flat on the ground and trust in its camouflage-dress in total motionlessness.
Further types The brown-coat-scissors-beak (Rhynchops flavirostris) has yellow legs and a yellow beak with reddish base. Rivers and seas of almost whole Africa of the Senegal and Sudan as far as to Angola and to the Zambesi is the life-areas of these birds. its nest consists of 2-3 eggs (3,9 x 2,8 cm). According to spread-area, the reproductive-period is in March until June.
The 40-45 cm big black-coat-scissors-beak (Rhynchops nigra) populates the coasts and bigger river-runs of the southern North America, means and South America (until Ecuador and Argentina). its beak is organgerot half and black.
Hikes Undertaking all types of the scissors-beaks season-causes, shorter hikes; also, changing water-circumstances lead fast to clear continuance-postponements.
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