Faith-driven hunt threatens survival of Telangana’s State bird, Pala pitta
Indian Roller, known as Palapitta in Telugu, sighted on the outskirts of Miryalaguda town in Nalgonda district.
The Indian Roller, locally known as ‘Palapitta’ and the State bird of Telangana, continues to face threats during the Dasara festival, with illegal capture and display on the rise despite wildlife protection laws.
The birds are often targeted due to a widespread superstition that seeing or handling them during Dasara brings good luck or absolves sins. As a result, many Palapittas are caged, have their wings clipped or bound, or even glued to prevent flight. Improper diet, stress and injuries following capture frequently lead to their death before or after the festival.
Greater Hyderabad Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (GHSPCA) coordinator Soudharm Bhandari shared rescue statistics from recent years, noting a gradual increase: three in 2019, five in 2020, 11 in 2021, eight each in 2022 and 2023z, and nine in 2024.
“After rescue, our trained volunteers, under veterinary supervision, carefully remove bindings and cages and release the healthy birds back into suitable habitats,” he said.
The public is urged to report sightings of captured birds to the GHSPCA emergency numbers: 9394578568 or 8886743881.
Animal activists warn that the problem is exacerbated by cultural practices and growing festival crowds. Pradeep Nair of the Animal Warriors Conservation Society said, “Temples increasingly engage poachers to capture Palapittas for devotees. These migratory birds normally feed on insects across fields, but their natural visibility is declining due to habitat loss and urbanisation. The birds suffer greatly when confined to small cages and exposed to human touch, often dying from dehydration, organ failure or trauma.”
Mr.Nair highlighted that while offering milk or water is well-intentioned, it cannot mitigate the harm caused. Beyond the immediate suffering, the decline in the number of Palapittas has ecological consequences, as these birds play an important role in controlling insect populations that can damage crops.
Efforts by NGOs and authorities to curb this practice have been ongoing for more than a decade. Panneru Pridhvi, founder and secretary of Citizens for Animals, said, “Humane World for Animals India and Citizens for Animals are working with the Telangana Forest Department through awareness campaigns and temple outreach to prevent illegal capture and display. Even last year, around 10 Palapittas were found to be illegally held in Hyderabad. We urge the public to report any such cases immediately to the Forest Department helpline at 98033-38666 or Citizens for Animals at 78422-27344.”
With the festival drawing large crowds, authorities and NGOs have increased monitoring of temples and public spaces, and meetings are planned to strengthen collaboration on wildlife protection. The activists stress that temples and devotees must celebrate Dasara in ways that are safe for both humans and animals, strictly adhering to the Wildlife Protection Act of 1972.
ABSTRACT:
Birds are excellent indicators of the state of our natural world. This year’s State of India’s Birds report, which was
recently released, highlights 942 bird species that need conservation priority. Of these, 178 classified as High
Conservation Priority and 14 species. Surprisingly the Indian Roller, or called the palapitta in Telugu or the Blue Jay,
has been recommended for International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List reassessment. The
palapitta (also known as the Blue Jay)is Telangana’s state bird and sighting it on Dasara day is considered auspicious.
People believe it as auspicious to see Palapitta (Coracias benghalensis) on Dussehra day. Poachers and traders take
advantage of the common belief that they capture the birds staring a month before the festival. They tie their legs with
thread, trim their wings and stick them with glue to stop them from flying. More cruelly they do not even feed these
birds till the day of Dusshera and kept in small cages for public viewing. Even though they leave them after Dussehra,
most of these birds die in captivity or immediately after being released. The State Animal Welfare Board and the
Telangana State Biodiversity Board along with Humane Society International (HSI) are trying to end this cruelty
Telangana government has decided to take bold step to save the state bird, Palapitta. The government had directed
temple managements not to entertain display of Palapittas during Dusshera on the temple premises or environs. They
clarified that these birds are protected under Schedule IV of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972 and any violation of this
protection will attract a penalty of Rs. 25,000 and up to three years of imprisonment.The State of India’s Birds report
is a periodic assessment of the distribution range, trends in abundance, and conservation status for most of the bird
species in the country. This comprehensive, national-level assessment report based on observations, observation
trends and distribution by over 30,000 birdwatchers from across the country points the way towards the conservation
needs of India’s birds. Ashwin Viswanathan of Benguluru-based Nature Conservation Foundation says, “Rapid
reduction of grasslands, landscapes and a natural ecosystem is the reason for the decline in the number of Indian
rollers. Rollers eat rodents and small insects which means these too are on a sharp decline. The birds have a great
association with the grasslands where cows and goats graze. With the steady approach of planting trees, we are
destroying the grazing lands and the ecosystem.”
Keywords:- Biodiversity, Conservation, Ecosystem.
INTRODUCTION :
The Indian roller (Coracias benghalensis) is a
bird of the family Coraciidae. It is 30–34 cm (12–
13 in) long with a wingspan of 65–74 cm (26–
29 in) and weighs 166–176 g (5.9–6.2 oz). The
face and throat are pinkish, the head and back
are brown, with blue on the rump and
contrasting light and dark blue on the wings
and tail. The bright blue markings on the wing
are prominent in flight. The sexes are similar in
appearance. Two subspecies are recognised.
Indian rollers are distributed across Asia, from
Iraq and the United Arab Emirates in south-
western Asia through the Indian Subcontinent,
including Sri Lanka, Lakshadweep islands, and
the Maldive Islands. The main habitat of these I J R B A T, Special Issue (XI) Nov 2023: 12-15 e-ISSN 2347 – 517X
A Double-Blind Peer Reviewed & Refereed Journal Original Article
Page13
Conservation status
Least Concern (IUCN 3.1)
[1]
During Dasara, poachers capture the Indian Roller (Palapitta), Telangana’s state bird, to display at temples, causing high mortality. Experts warn that captivity is fatal, with nearly half dying. Citizens are urged to report cases to AWCS or Forest Department authorities.
Published Date – 26 September 2025, 12:23 PM
Sangareddy: Every Dasara, poachers capture the Indian Roller, locally called
“pala pitta”
Palapitta’ rescue drive intensifies during Dasara festival in Hyderabad
As Dasara approaches, Palapitta birds are illegally captured for good luck rituals. GHSPCA has urged citizens to report such cases and continues its annual rescue operations, freeing and rehabilitating Indian Roller birds with veterinary care before releasing them back to the wild
Published Date – 29 September 2025, 02:57 PM
Hyderabad: In view of the belief that seeing or handling the Indian Roller, the bird known as Palapitta in Telangana, during the Dasara festival brings good luck, several of these birds are captured, caged and clipped.
Greater Hyderabad Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (GHSPCA) coordinator Soudharm Bhandari, in a press release, urged citizens to report on the emergency contact numbers 9394578568 or 8886743881 if they come across birds being held in a cage or displayed.
Pollution, habitat destruction and urban bustle drive State bird Palapitta away from Hyderabad
The Palapitta usually nests in tree holes and feeds on insects. Due to the indiscriminate felling of trees and lack of food, the bird appears to be moving away from the State capital
Published Date – 24 February 2025, 06:43 PM
Sangareddy: The hustle-bustle of the urban landscape, coupled with habitat destruction appears to be chasing the Palapitta (Indian Roller), Telangana’s State bird, away from the State capital.
The statistics of the bird survey carried out by 209 bird watchers across the Hyderabad city during the last 20 days, beginning from February 3, as part of preparation of the Hyderabad Bird Atlas, indicates such a situation. During this period, the 209 bird watchers, who searched at 720 locations, found the bird at just 22 locations, those too mostly on the fringes of the city and its outskirts.
Out of 26 photographs they managed to capture of the bird at these 22 locations, the bird watchers could find a pair at Balijaguda near Hayathnagar. Usually, February to June is considered as the breeding season for the Indian Roller in South India. Seasoned bird watcher Sriram Reddy said the Palapitta usually nests in tree holes and feeds on insects.
Due to the indiscriminate felling of trees and lack of food, the bird appears to be moving away from the State capital. He said they had rarely seen the Palapitta in the city even before the survey. The closest place to Nampally, considered as the heart of Hyderabad, where the Palapitta was sighted during the survey was some 15 kilometres away in Rajendra Nagar.
However, Rajendra Nagar is not going to be a safe home any longer for the State bird as a lot of habitat destruction is being done here due to mining of hilly terrains, Reddy said.
The State of Indian Birds Report-2023 (SoIB) also found that the population of Indian Roller, the State bird of Telangana, Karnataka, and Odisha, was declining sharply. The SoIB report says that the population of the Indian Roller declined by 30 per cent in the last 12 years.
The report called for the inclusion of the birds in the Red List of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) so that governments and other organisations would make some special efforts for the conservation of the bird.
“Aren’t these statistics enough to make the Telangana government launch a special survey to study the sharp decline of the Palapitta population and initiate some conservation measures to save it?” environmentalists who have been following the bird survey as part of preparing the Hyderabad Bird Atlas ask.
Jagga Reddy sparks row with ill-treatment of Telangana State bird during Dasara
The Congress leader, along with his family, held the birds inappropriately to display them to citizens in violation of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972
Updated On – 15 October 2024, 04:15 PM
Sangareddy: TPCC working president and former Sangareddy MLA
Telangana Congress hold ‘Chalo Raj Bhavan’ programme
Hyderabad: The State unit of Congress held a ‘Chalo Raj Bhavan’ programme from Indira Park on Friday in protest against the rising fuel and domestic gas cylinder prices. Addressing party workers at Indira Park, TPCC president A Revanth Reddy said common people were burdened a lot as the State and Central governments were imposing heavy […]
Hyderabad: The State unit of Congress held a ‘Chalo Raj Bhavan’ programme from Indira Park on Friday in protest against the rising fuel and domestic gas cylinder prices.
Addressing party workers at Indira Park, TPCC president A Revanth Reddy said common people were burdened a lot as the State and Central governments were imposing heavy taxes, which eventually led to increase in fuel prices.
He charged that petrol and fuel prices were revised several times in the last couple of months and wanted the prices to be rolled back immediately.
Later, the Congress leaders, including the TPCC president, were taken into custody when they attempted to head towards Raj Bhavan from Indira Park to submit a memorandum to Governor Tamilisai Soundarajan.
Police also obstructed the party workers from reaching the Ambedkar statue on Tank Bund to submit the memorandum.
Senior Congress leaders including party MLAs D Anasuya alias Sitakka and T Jayaprakash Reddy, former MP Madhu Yashki Goud, former Minister J Geeta Reddy, former MP Anjan Kumar Yadav and others, participated in the dharna and condemned the police action for obstructing their march.
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BJP behind Sharmila’s politics in Telangana: Congress
Hyderabad: Congress MLA T Jayaprakash Reddy on Wednesday alleged that the BJP was behind the attempted entry of former Chief Minister YS Rajasekhara Reddy’s daughter Sharmila into Telangana politics. “Since BJP is losing in the north and is now focusing on the south, I strongly suspect the party’s role behind Sharmila’s political entry in Telangana,” […]
Hyderabad: Congress MLA T Jayaprakash Reddy on Wednesday alleged that the BJP was behind the attempted entry of former Chief Minister YS Rajasekhara Reddy’s daughter Sharmila into Telangana politics. “Since BJP is losing in the north and is now focusing on the south, I strongly suspect the party’s role behind Sharmila’s political entry in Telangana,” he said, adding that her brother and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jaganmohan Reddy was already working with the BJP. “Sharmila will also work in Telangana as per the directions of BJP to ensure that the Congress does not come to power,” the Congress MLA said. Another former Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu was in a dilemma and unable to decide whether to proceed with the Congress or BJP.
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Telangana: Congress MLA threatens to hold ‘deeksha’ with one lakh people
MLA T Jayaprakash Reddy demanded that the govt should waive agriculture loans up to Rs 1 lakh and extend financial assistance to farmers who suffered losses due to unseasonal rains
Hyderabad: Congress MLA T Jayaprakash Reddy threatened to organise a ‘deeksha’ on January 30 with over one lakh people at Ambedkar Stadium in Sangareddy if the government failed to resolve the problems being faced by people.
At a press conference here on Wednesday, he demanded that the government waive agriculture loans up to Rs 1 lakh and extend financial assistance to farmers who suffered losses due to unseasonal rains this time apart from giving loans to self-help groups without any interest and paying unemployment honorarium to jobless youth.
He asked the government to introduce separate schemes for BCs, ST/SCs and minorities and provide financial assistance of Rs 10 lakh to each family that was continuing with traditional occupations, for constructing the house.
Effective implementation of Arogyasri health scheme and SC,ST Sub Plan, the appointment of Vice-Chancellors to universities across the State and providing minimum support price to farmers are some of the demands that the government should fulfill before January 30, he said.
