skim feeding

animal behavior

Also known as: skimming

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Last updated

July 16, 2026

Quick Summary

Skim feeding is a method used by some animals to catch prey. This behavior is most notably observed in skimmers, which are water birds with a unique bill. They fly low over calm water, with the longer lower mandible submerged. When the bill tip touches a fish or crustacean, the upper mandible snaps shut.1

Certain baleen whales also engage in skim feeding. They swim through concentrations of zooplankton with their mouths open, filtering out their prey as they move. This contrasts with gulp feeding, where they take in a large volume of water and then strain it.2

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cetacean
Feeding
…bowhead, pygmy right, and gray), skim-feed by locating a concentration of zooplankton prey and swimming through it with the mouth open. Skimming may last up to several minutes until the whales close their mouths to swallow what they have filtered from the water.
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…bowhead, pygmy right, and gray), skim-feed by locating a concentration of zooplankton prey and swimming through it with the mouth open. Skimming may last up to several minutes until the whales close their mouths to swallow what they have filtered from the water.
Read More