Where did the blue go? Locating the extinct Indian Roller in South India. india news

Last updated:October 31, 2025, 12:23 IST

The bird that used to appear every afternoon along suburban starlands is now rarely seen, a change so slow that it only registers when you compare memories over the years.

“I still remember the cobalt flash that caught my eye near Mysore Road a few years ago. A bird was perched comfortably on a roadside electric wire, wings catching the afternoon sun, in an area where I had grown accustomed to seeing only my car mirrors and expansive rooftops.

That bright blue line belonged to the Indian Roller bird, I came to know later after net surfing. That day it felt like a promise: that even here, amidst the urban bustle, nature is still visible. But in recent years, it has been visible less and less” recalls Shreya, a Bengaluru-based accountant.

Meet the bird and its style

The Indian Roller (Coracias benghalensis) is a medium-sized bird, about 30–34 cm long and with a wingspan of 65–74 cm. Its head and back are dark brown, dramatically offset by the turquoise-blue wings and tail, creating flashes of color when it takes flight.

Both males and females look alike. In flight, the bright blue panels on the wings are unmistakable, giving it the name “roller”: the male performs aerobatic loops, dives and turns during courtship displays.

Its habitats are surprisingly flexible – open grasslands, scrub forests, cultivated fields and even human-modified landscapes such as roadside trees or wires. In short, it is a bird that is used to living in places where humans live.

where and how does it live

The Indian Roller’s preferred hunting strategy is simple: perch on a bare branch or electrical wire, detect movement on the ground, then pounce to snatch the prey. From that perch, it monitors insects, small reptiles or amphibians.

Beetles, grasshoppers and crickets form a major part of its diet. When conditions are right, it will also follow tractors or plumes of smoke to take advantage of insects that have flown out due to disturbance.

Breeding occurs around March to June, slightly earlier in southern areas. Birds nest in cavities – tree holes, dead palm trees, cracks in buildings or soil banks. A typical clutch includes 3–5 white eggs, and both parents share incubation and care.

How is it disappearing so quietly

Despite its adaptability, the Indian Roller is quietly declining across India. Recent surveys show that the population has declined by about 30 percent in some areas over the past decade. In Karnataka, where it is the state bird – it was recently reclassified as “Near Threatened” in the IUCN Red List, highlighting the urgent concern.

There are several reasons behind this disappearance:

• Habitat fragmentation and tree loss: Fewer tall trees and nesting cavities along roadsides mean fewer breeding sites.
• Use of pesticides: As an insectivore, it depends on abundant prey. Intensive pesticide use reduces insects and indirectly poisons birds.
• Urban Dangers: Wires and roads, which were once vantage points for its hunting, are now causing collisions, electric shocks and loss of safe foraging places.
• Ritual Capture: The cultural value of the bird, especially in states where it is the state bird, is highlighted by illegal capture during festivals. Many people do not survive after release.

Since this decline has been incremental, it has gone largely unnoticed. The bird that used to appear every afternoon along suburban starlands is now rarely seen, a change so slow that it only registers when you compare memories over the years.

“Even three decades ago the diversity and number of birds seen in Bengaluru was much better than what is seen now. The number of water birds has declined by eighty to ninety percent. A decline has also been observed in ground birds, especially in those birds that nest in tree holes. The Roller is also a bird that nests in the old wood holes of big trees, and it is sad that the way we are clearing the old greenery “This state bird of Karnataka has been so badly affected by it,” ornithologist Dr MB Krishna says about the disappearance of Indian Rollers from the skies of Bengaluru.

where you can still see it

Today, the best chance to spot an Indian Roller is:

• Open agricultural areas just outside cities, where insects are abundant.
• Semi-urban area with scattered trees on the outskirts of Bengaluru or Mysuru.
• Late afternoon during the breeding season, when the males perform their distinctive aerial display.

When you see one sitting with half-opened wings, it is often a sign that it is hunting or courting.

Indian Roller is not just beautiful; It plays an important ecological role. By eating insects and small reptiles, it helps keep insect populations in check in fields and grasslands. Its decline signals a deeper, stressed ecosystem.

What can be done

Although the loss is real, conservation efforts can still make a difference.

• Protect and plant tall roadside trees and old palms that serve as nesting sites.
• Encourage insect-friendly farming and reduce the use of chemical pesticides.
• Strengthen enforcement against capturing or trading protected birds, especially during festivals.

The Indian Roller once belonged to the common corners of our lives, sitting on power lines, flashing turquoise wings against the city sky. Now it is quietly disappearing from view, a reminder that even the most adaptable species have limits.

To see once again, we may need to do more than see – we must learn to listen, preserve, and make room for the colors that once painted our everyday skies.