21 thoughts on “Indian Roller (Coracias benghalensis)”
Indian Roller is quite commonly seen in open country through out India. It is an aggerssive species and usurps nest cavities and prey from other diuranl birds. It is a successful nester and reported decline in SOIB 2023 does not support it with any particualr cause. It may be an oversight in recording the species by the citizens. I think it can continue to remain in the LC category.
I’ve been closely observing Indian Rollers across both Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, and there’s a noticeable difference in their population trends between the two states.
In Andhra Pradesh, the Indian Roller population appears to be relatively stable. This can largely be attributed to the state’s agricultural landscape, which provides abundant foraging opportunities and open areas that suit the species well.
In contrast, Telangana has seen a significant decline in Indian Roller numbers in recent years. This decline can be linked to a combination of cultural, ecological, and urban development factors:
Cultural Exploitation During Dussehra:
In Telangana, the Indian Roller—locally known as “Pala Pitta”—is considered a symbol of good fortune, especially during the Dussehra festival. Many people believe that spotting the bird during this time is auspicious. As a result, Indian Rollers are often captured and brought to temples for public display during the festival season. While the intention may be cultural or spiritual, this practice leads to stress, injury, or death of the birds, and disrupts their natural behavior and movement during a crucial time of the year.
Rapid Urbanization and Habitat Loss:
Cities like Hyderabad and other urban centers in Telangana are expanding rapidly, leading to the loss of open fields, scrublands, and old trees that Indian Rollers rely on for nesting and hunting. The conversion of green areas into concrete spaces not only reduces available habitat but also fragments existing ones, making it difficult for the birds to survive and breed.
Pesticide Use and Declining Prey Availability:
Indian Rollers primarily feed on insects, small reptiles, and other invertebrates. The increased use of pesticides in agriculture has likely caused a decline in insect populations, reducing the food base for the species. Moreover, pesticide contamination can also affect the birds directly through bioaccumulation and poisoning.
Loss of Nesting Sites:
Indian Rollers nest in cavities of old trees, poles, and buildings. With the reduction of large old trees and the shift to modern infrastructure, suitable nesting locations are becoming scarce, directly impacting their breeding success.
Altogether, these pressures are contributing to a noticeable drop in Indian Roller sightings across Telangana.
Indian rollers reduced drastically in telangana. In childhood, I used to see good numbers and now a days I feel white throated kingfishers replaced rollers in Telangana state. We hardly find Indian rollers even in agriculture fields in Telangana.
Indian Roller population at Nanjangud taluk, Mysuru, Karnataka is decreasing. About 5 years back, I used to see them in good numbers everyday near agriculture fields. Now a days, frequency of sightings reduced. Earlier farmers were growing more cereal crops. More and more agricultural fields are converted from rainfed to irrigation by pumpset. Which leads to growing commercial crops. Using insecticides while growing crops increased. These could be the reasons for decline.
Local and spatially concentrated declines (particularly around well watched areas such as towns and cities) should not be used as an indicator of overall red list status, particularly in a large country like India with relatively poor spatial coverage. The species remains common in most agricultural areas in drier parts of the country, including palm plantations and other monocultures. It also remains one of the most conspicuous and numerous birds on wires and poles along roads in much of both south and north India.
Without more quantitative data, this uplisting is premature, and will simply continue the trend of yo-yoing species statuses across the Indian subcontinent. There simply is not the kind of rigorous data that exists on say the European Roller for parts of its range, and any preliminary evidence of decline should be an excuse to fund people to get better data (not eBird!), as opposed to rushing changes to the Red List status.
In the Middle East, on the Western end of their range, comments from colleagues suggest the breeding population in Iraq is fairly stable, but there may be indications of a decline in Oman. The Red List Team are in touch with the situation in UAE. I am not up to speed with the situation in Iran, but I have fond memories of that is where I saw my first Indian Rollers, in full display, in magical Baluchistan. A few moons ago…..
Baseline Monitoring Data for the Indian Roller (Coracias benghalensis) from the Northern Deccan: Insights from a systematic survey.
Background:
An ongoing project at NCF focuses on generating bird data in regions where citizen science data is lacking. The current region of focus is the Northern Deccan, which primarily spans the state of Maharashtra, with parts extending into Telangana, Chhattisgarh, and Odisha.
This region lies at the heart of the distribution range of the Indian Roller (Coracias benghalensis). However, there is limited information available on bird populations in this area. As a result, the project aims to fill this knowledge gap and provide valuable data for future conservation efforts.
Season:
The winter sampling took place from December 2024 to January 2025, and the summer sampling was conducted from March to April 2025.
Protocol:
To sample in woodlands, croplands, and Open Natural Ecosystems (ONEs), 5 × 5 km grids were laid out to serve as habitat masks. Grids were selected randomly for sampling. Since this was a systematic survey, we repeated sampling at the same points across seasons.
For croplands, we sampled 46 grids in summer and 48 in winter. Two grids that were covered in winter had to be skipped in summer due to accessibility issues. In each grid, we conducted two perimeter counts and observed birds for 15 minutes, covering approximately 250 meters, ensuring that the two transects were 500 meters apart.
Similarly, for ONEs, we sampled 33 grids in summer and 34 in winter. In each grid, we conducted two line transects, following the same protocol as in croplands.
For wetlands, we selected sites randomly based on their proximity to grids selected for sampling other habitats. At each wetland, we conducted a travelling checklist lasting 20 to 60 minutes, depending on accessibility.
For rivers, we followed a similar selection approach and conducted five 5-minute point counts at intervals of 200 meters, effectively covering a stretch of 1 km.
Effort:
In total, we recorded 134 checklists in Open Natural Ecosystems (ONEs), covering 33.5 kilometers over 2,010 minutes. For croplands, we recorded 188 checklists, covering 47 kilometers in 2,820 minutes. We recorded 66 checklists in wetlands, covering 36.69 kilometers over 1,956 minutes. In rivers, we surveyed using 70 stationary checklists and the total time spent was 350 minutes.For woodlands, we recorded 256 stationary checklists over 2560 minutes.
In total, we recorded 714 checklists, covering approximately 117.19 kilometers and 9,696 minutes of survey effort across all habitats.
Results:
Habitat: Season: Frequency of reporting (Lower 95% Confidence Interval, Upper 95% Confidence Interval)
Conclusion:
The Indian Roller was most frequently reported in Wetlands during summer and Croplands during winter, with low detection across Rivers and Woodlands. Detection in ONEs was moderate across both seasons, suggesting these habitats also support the species, though at slightly lower frequencies.
Changing land-use patterns may lead to a change in Indian Roller numbers and the values presented here can be used as a baseline to assess these changes.
Long-term Decline
There appears to be a long-term decline for this species compared to pre-2000 levels, with a change of -39.98% (Mean), and a confidence interval of -46.52% to -32.54% (LCI, RCI). However, most of this decline seems to have occurred in the more recent period. https://stateofindiasbirds.in/species/indrol2/
Declines in Protected Areas
Although the Indian Roller is not a species traditionally dependent on the protection regime of Protected Areas (PAs) in India, its decline is evident not only near urban fringes but also within PAs. The rate of decline inside PAs is slightly lower (-2.48% LCI) compared to the overall CAT (-2.89% LCI), projecting a 26% decline over three generations as against 30%. https://stateofindiasbirds.in/species/pas-indrol2/
Range and Grid Coverage
Compared to other species like the Indian Courser, the Indian Roller has relatively high range coverage. The Current Annual Trend (CAT) used in the Red List assessment was derived from grids covering 42% of its range, which is quite high for a wide-ranging species. Among species classified by SoIB as having a “Very Large” range, the Indian Roller falls in the 71st percentile, meaning its range coverage is higher than 70% of similar species.
Within-grid coverage is lower (9%), which would be a concern for habitat specialists. However, since the Indian Roller is an open landscape species, this lower within-grid coverage is less critical. More details are available here: https://zenodo.org/records/11124590/files/02_SoIB_2023_main.xlsx
State Trends
The Indian Roller is one of the few species for which conclusive Current Annual Trends (CAT) are available for a number of Indian states:
This bird is often associated with Dussehra and Durga Puja. Seeing an Indian Roller on Dussehra is believed to bring good luck and remove obstacles. The bird is also associated with Lord Shiva and is said to be sacred to Vishnu. The bird is sometimes caught and released during festivals, but this practice is now considered inhumane and is discouraged.
Detecting and understanding population trends in the Indian Roller (Coracias benghalensis) remains challenging, and identifying causes of observed declines—where they occur—is even more complex. Although the species appears to be declining in some parts of India, the drivers of these trends remain poorly understood and merit urgent research attention. Potential contributing factors, such as diet-related impacts including biomagnification, and the loss or transformation of open landscapes, should be specifically investigated. Rigorous, effort-controlled, and spatially randomized systematic monitoring is essential to link potential threats with observed trends in population.
This analysis compares population trend estimates for Indian Roller from two prominent sources: eBird Status & Trends (S&T) and the State of India’s Birds (SoIB), both of which draw on eBird data but employ different methodologies.
The SoIB trend spans 2015–2022 and uses only directly observed data. Where data are sparse or absent, trends are not estimated, resulting in some states lacking trend information.
In contrast, eBird S&T covers 2014–2021 and applies machine learning algorithms to estimate abundance, incorporating habitat covariates and extrapolating to under-sampled areas. Consequently, eBird S&T provides more spatially complete trends.
For eight Indian states where both sources provide trend estimates, annual percentage changes were derived and compared. The Median trend from eBird S&T and Lower Confidence Interval (LCI) from SoIB (following their recommended practice) were used. Based on this, states were categorized into three groups:
1. Very Similar Trends (Difference < 5%)
Tamil Nadu: eBird: -1.79%; SoIB: -1.89%
In Rajasthan, while SoIB lacks a definitive trend, visual interpretation of the trend chart (https://stateofindiasbirds.in/wp-content/uploads/2024/trends/originals/Indian-Roller_rj_CAT_trend.png) suggests stability or even a positive trend, directionally consistent with eBird S&T's trend (eBird S&T estimate a 24% increase). Similarly, eBird S&T reports increases in the Kachchh region of Gujarat, while Saurashtra shows declines.
These contrasting trends may perhaps reflect underlying ecological changes. For instance, regions with improving trends coincide with areas undergoing certain land-use changes such as anti-desertification measures or agricultural expansion. Anecdotal accounts of increases in the Middle East (e.g., Arabia) raise the question of whether such trends are linked to increased cropland/green area, slightly contrasting with narratives that primarily emphasize urbanization and deforestation (as mentioned in say Birds of the World). [well, urbanization in Middle East can mean more green areas, contrary to urbanization in the Indian subcontinent].
Data from neighboring regions, especially Pakistan, particularly along the Indus basin, could further inform regional population dynamics and conservation assessments.
Detecting Subtle Declines in Common Species
It is important to emphasize the difficulty in perceiving small declines in widespread species like the Indian Roller. A 20–30% decline over 11.6 years—which meets the threshold for Near Threatened under IUCN Criterion A—translates to an annual decline of 1.8–2.9%. Over 7–8 years (the range for available comparative data now), this results in a 12–20% cumulative decline.
Such a decline, while biologically significant, is difficult to detect without regular monitoring; either by a single observer or through a pool of observers like in eBird. For instance, a decline from 10 to 7–9 individuals (or checklist records) over a decade may not register as a perceptible change to casual observations, or even for a single observer until they look at their own data. The species would still be considered “common” in many areas despite measurable declines. Admittedly, some places, this decline will be precipitous, and more noticeable, but most places, such a decline will go unnoticed.
To me, this highlights the importance of approaches of evaluation frameworks such as the IUCN Red List process….where they recommend
Assessors should adopt a precautionary but realistic attitude, and resist an evidentiary approach to uncertainty when applying the criteria
This approach, I believe, ensures that even gentle declines in widespread species are considered early warnings for conservation assessments and the category Near Threatened is well-suited for that.
Whatever the decision here is, it would need to be taken based on the limited 'data' available at the disposal for the assessors.
Indian Roller being a widespread common resident species in India no attempt has been made to quantify its numbers. Hence as such no population estimate is available. Most suggestions are made based on the casual observation not specific. In some states like Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh frequency of sightings are relatively higher than Tamil Nadu, its decline was not properly documented due to lack of long term baseline data. However Its frequency of sightings in Tamilnadu is definitely going down probably due to the loss of palm groves and Palmyra tree – one of its most preferred nesting trees and reduction in cultivable land.To list under this least concern species into near-threatened category more information from other parts of India on its frequency of sightings are needed. Hence it can remain under the least concern category till concrete evidences are obtained.
As part of an exploratory survey from 13 November to 1 December 2024 (19 days), two of us, along with resident birdwatchers, visited several districts in southern Punjab and northern Haryana (https://ebird.org/tripreport/292645).
Over the course of the survey, we covered a variety of habitats across the districts of Hisar, Fazilka, Patiala, Sahibzada Ajit Singh Nagar, Sangrur, Sirsa, Chandigarh, Faridkot, Kaithal, Sri Muktsar Sahib, Bathinda, Kurukshetra, Barnala, Fatehabad, Jind, and Ambala.
This effort involved 3,974 minutes (66.23 hrs) of birding and approximately 196 km of walking. Much of our travel was by road, during which we submitted incidental or incomplete bird checklists while driving. Despite the time and distance covered, we recorded the Indian Roller only 12 times—including individuals perched on wires along the road—and none of these sightings were from Haryana.
It appears that southern Punjab, especially the areas bordering Haryana, may not be a stronghold for the Indian Roller.
This species is a breeding resident and a breeding summer visitor to southern and central Iraq, with post-breeding dispersal.
It faces numerous challenges that are harming its population in Iraq, such as the clearing of suitable habitats and population expansion.
Recent decades have witnessed the clearing of orchards and trees favored by this species for nesting and breeding. Some are also hunted in various regions of Iraq and sold in local markets, though in limited numbers. Chicks are also collected and sold in local markets or via social media.
Many thanks to everyone who has contributed to this discussion. We greatly appreciate the time and effort invested in commenting. The window for consultation is now closed and we are unable to accept any more comments until 25 April 2025. We will now analyse and interpret the information, and we will post a preliminary decision on this species’ Red List category on this page on 25 April 2025, when discussions will re-open.
We thank all those who have taken the time to comment on this species – the breadth and detail of information is very helpful to infer the extinction risk of this species. While we recognise the caution suggested by A. Krishnan in using citizen science data to infer population trends, it is also necessary for us to consider all available data in the inference of extinction risk. For species like Indian Roller, these eBird-derived trend data are the only sources that provide some detail on the species’ population trend (particularly its magnitude) – it is therefore appropriate that we use it. As noted by Praveen J, the range coverage that these methods have in India (42%) is rather high, thus the spatial coverage is definitely not poor (as described by A. Krishnan).
We particularly thank Praveen J for his very detailed explanation of the SoIB data, particularly in relation to the eBird Status and Trends dataset. While there are considerable uncertainties with both methods, it is also the case that both indicate this species is declining across much of its range (albeit at different rates and with some geographic idiosyncrasies).
Overall, the original proposal is still believed to represent a reasonable, if precautionary, interpretation of the data, and the preliminary proposal for the 2025 Red List is still to list the species as Near Threatened. We hope this discussion also encourages more regular monitoring data for species using other methods.
There is now a period for further comments until the final deadline on 4 May 2025, after which the recommended categorisations will be put forward to IUCN.
The final 2025 Red List categories will be published on the BirdLife and IUCN websites in October 2025, following further checking of information relevant to the assessments by both BirdLife and IUCN.
Since the publication The State of India’s Birds —in Nepal also our attention has been drawn towards a possible decline of this species. They are still seen frequently in the lowlands but their numbers are lower. We continue to assess its population in Nepal.
A fairly common bird of the opener areas viz. croplands, rural environs, forest-farmland edge and light deciduous forests/woodlands; the Indian Roller seems to be holding on unlike some of its open-area co-habitants in Gujarat. It is still not uncommon to see Indian Rollers perched on wires and poles passing through crop-fields as well as in light, deciduous, teak-dominated eastern forest belt. My gut feeling though is that the species is on a (slight) decline. However, as rightly pointed out by some observers in their comments; it is not that easy or accurate to decipher a clear trend for India as a country. Several factors could be serving as threats for the species, of which the following seem important in Gujarat:
1. Changes in the crop pattern (with concomitant changes irrigation levels, intensity of fertilizer-pesticide use etc.) leading to altered/reduced food availability. This needs to be investigated and substantiated with studies.
2. Changing land use i.e. conversion of open/multiple-use land into industrial or residential (hence more vegetated) use mainly in suburban and rural areas leading to decrease/increase in suitable habitat respectively. Residential areas apparently grow more tree cover and turn greener compared to industrial use areas. Also, industrial invasion is almost permanent loss of habitat for the species.
3. Increased use of pesticides and consequent bio-magnification
4. Decreased availability of nesting sites (large trees with natural cavities) and possible competition with other secondary cavity-nesters?
Although there is paucity of data from across the country, available evidence and prudence demand upgrading of the species’ status.
I think it is a balanced decision. The frequency of sighting of Indian Roller, the state bird of Odisha, has been definitely on a decline particularly in Odisha state, although no hard data is available. Even if the distribution range of the bird is very large, as a precautionary principle, its status needs to be upgraded to that of near threatened for better surveillance and monitoring hereon.
Many thanks to everyone who has contributed to this discussion. We greatly appreciate the time and effort invested in commenting. The window for consultation is now closed and we are unable to accept any more comments. We will analyse and interpret the information, and a final decision on this species’ Red List category will be posted on this page on 12 May 2025.
Recommended categorisation to be put forward to IUCN
The final categorisation for this species has not changed. Indian Roller is recommended to be listed as Near Threatened, approaching thresholds under Criteria A2bcd+4bcd. (Note the addition of subcriteria (b) and (c), not in the original proposal. These have been added based on comments received during this consultation, which provide a clearer picture of possible threats affecting this species.)
Many thanks for everyone who contributed to the 2025.2 GTB Forum process. The final Red List categories will be published on the BirdLife and IUCN websites in October 2025, following further checking of information relevant to the assessments by both BirdLife and IUCN.
Indian Roller is quite commonly seen in open country through out India. It is an aggerssive species and usurps nest cavities and prey from other diuranl birds. It is a successful nester and reported decline in SOIB 2023 does not support it with any particualr cause. It may be an oversight in recording the species by the citizens. I think it can continue to remain in the LC category.
Indian Roller can be seen frequently in lowlands of Nepal.
I’ve been closely observing Indian Rollers across both Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, and there’s a noticeable difference in their population trends between the two states.
In Andhra Pradesh, the Indian Roller population appears to be relatively stable. This can largely be attributed to the state’s agricultural landscape, which provides abundant foraging opportunities and open areas that suit the species well.
In contrast, Telangana has seen a significant decline in Indian Roller numbers in recent years. This decline can be linked to a combination of cultural, ecological, and urban development factors:
Cultural Exploitation During Dussehra:
In Telangana, the Indian Roller—locally known as “Pala Pitta”—is considered a symbol of good fortune, especially during the Dussehra festival. Many people believe that spotting the bird during this time is auspicious. As a result, Indian Rollers are often captured and brought to temples for public display during the festival season. While the intention may be cultural or spiritual, this practice leads to stress, injury, or death of the birds, and disrupts their natural behavior and movement during a crucial time of the year.
Rapid Urbanization and Habitat Loss:
Cities like Hyderabad and other urban centers in Telangana are expanding rapidly, leading to the loss of open fields, scrublands, and old trees that Indian Rollers rely on for nesting and hunting. The conversion of green areas into concrete spaces not only reduces available habitat but also fragments existing ones, making it difficult for the birds to survive and breed.
Pesticide Use and Declining Prey Availability:
Indian Rollers primarily feed on insects, small reptiles, and other invertebrates. The increased use of pesticides in agriculture has likely caused a decline in insect populations, reducing the food base for the species. Moreover, pesticide contamination can also affect the birds directly through bioaccumulation and poisoning.
Loss of Nesting Sites:
Indian Rollers nest in cavities of old trees, poles, and buildings. With the reduction of large old trees and the shift to modern infrastructure, suitable nesting locations are becoming scarce, directly impacting their breeding success.
Altogether, these pressures are contributing to a noticeable drop in Indian Roller sightings across Telangana.
Indian rollers reduced drastically in telangana. In childhood, I used to see good numbers and now a days I feel white throated kingfishers replaced rollers in Telangana state. We hardly find Indian rollers even in agriculture fields in Telangana.
Indian Roller population at Nanjangud taluk, Mysuru, Karnataka is decreasing. About 5 years back, I used to see them in good numbers everyday near agriculture fields. Now a days, frequency of sightings reduced. Earlier farmers were growing more cereal crops. More and more agricultural fields are converted from rainfed to irrigation by pumpset. Which leads to growing commercial crops. Using insecticides while growing crops increased. These could be the reasons for decline.
Local and spatially concentrated declines (particularly around well watched areas such as towns and cities) should not be used as an indicator of overall red list status, particularly in a large country like India with relatively poor spatial coverage. The species remains common in most agricultural areas in drier parts of the country, including palm plantations and other monocultures. It also remains one of the most conspicuous and numerous birds on wires and poles along roads in much of both south and north India.
Without more quantitative data, this uplisting is premature, and will simply continue the trend of yo-yoing species statuses across the Indian subcontinent. There simply is not the kind of rigorous data that exists on say the European Roller for parts of its range, and any preliminary evidence of decline should be an excuse to fund people to get better data (not eBird!), as opposed to rushing changes to the Red List status.
In the Middle East, on the Western end of their range, comments from colleagues suggest the breeding population in Iraq is fairly stable, but there may be indications of a decline in Oman. The Red List Team are in touch with the situation in UAE. I am not up to speed with the situation in Iran, but I have fond memories of that is where I saw my first Indian Rollers, in full display, in magical Baluchistan. A few moons ago…..
Baseline Monitoring Data for the Indian Roller (Coracias benghalensis) from the Northern Deccan: Insights from a systematic survey.
Background:
An ongoing project at NCF focuses on generating bird data in regions where citizen science data is lacking. The current region of focus is the Northern Deccan, which primarily spans the state of Maharashtra, with parts extending into Telangana, Chhattisgarh, and Odisha.
This region lies at the heart of the distribution range of the Indian Roller (Coracias benghalensis). However, there is limited information available on bird populations in this area. As a result, the project aims to fill this knowledge gap and provide valuable data for future conservation efforts.
Sampling design:
Districts covered:
Maharashtra: Yavatmal, Gadchiroli, Nanded, Hingoli, Parbhani, Beed, Washim, Latur
Telangana: Adilabad
Season:
The winter sampling took place from December 2024 to January 2025, and the summer sampling was conducted from March to April 2025.
Protocol:
To sample in woodlands, croplands, and Open Natural Ecosystems (ONEs), 5 × 5 km grids were laid out to serve as habitat masks. Grids were selected randomly for sampling. Since this was a systematic survey, we repeated sampling at the same points across seasons.
For croplands, we sampled 46 grids in summer and 48 in winter. Two grids that were covered in winter had to be skipped in summer due to accessibility issues. In each grid, we conducted two perimeter counts and observed birds for 15 minutes, covering approximately 250 meters, ensuring that the two transects were 500 meters apart.
Similarly, for ONEs, we sampled 33 grids in summer and 34 in winter. In each grid, we conducted two line transects, following the same protocol as in croplands.
For wetlands, we selected sites randomly based on their proximity to grids selected for sampling other habitats. At each wetland, we conducted a travelling checklist lasting 20 to 60 minutes, depending on accessibility.
For rivers, we followed a similar selection approach and conducted five 5-minute point counts at intervals of 200 meters, effectively covering a stretch of 1 km.
Effort:
In total, we recorded 134 checklists in Open Natural Ecosystems (ONEs), covering 33.5 kilometers over 2,010 minutes. For croplands, we recorded 188 checklists, covering 47 kilometers in 2,820 minutes. We recorded 66 checklists in wetlands, covering 36.69 kilometers over 1,956 minutes. In rivers, we surveyed using 70 stationary checklists and the total time spent was 350 minutes.For woodlands, we recorded 256 stationary checklists over 2560 minutes.
In total, we recorded 714 checklists, covering approximately 117.19 kilometers and 9,696 minutes of survey effort across all habitats.
Results:
Habitat: Season: Frequency of reporting (Lower 95% Confidence Interval, Upper 95% Confidence Interval)
ONE: Summer: 0.076 (0.033, 0.165), Winter: 0.044 (0.015, 0.122);
Cropland: Summer: 0.065 (0.030, 0.135), Winter: 0.094 (0.050, 0.169);
Wetland: Summer: 0.152 (0.067, 0.309), Winter: 0.061 (0.017, 0.196);
River: Summer: 0.029 (0.005, 0.145),
Winter: 0.000 (0.000, 0.099);
Woodland: Summer: 0.023 (0.008, 0.067), Winter: 0.008 (0.001, 0.043).
Conclusion:
The Indian Roller was most frequently reported in Wetlands during summer and Croplands during winter, with low detection across Rivers and Woodlands. Detection in ONEs was moderate across both seasons, suggesting these habitats also support the species, though at slightly lower frequencies.
Changing land-use patterns may lead to a change in Indian Roller numbers and the values presented here can be used as a baseline to assess these changes.
Long-term Decline
There appears to be a long-term decline for this species compared to pre-2000 levels, with a change of -39.98% (Mean), and a confidence interval of -46.52% to -32.54% (LCI, RCI). However, most of this decline seems to have occurred in the more recent period.
https://stateofindiasbirds.in/species/indrol2/
Declines in Protected Areas
Although the Indian Roller is not a species traditionally dependent on the protection regime of Protected Areas (PAs) in India, its decline is evident not only near urban fringes but also within PAs. The rate of decline inside PAs is slightly lower (-2.48% LCI) compared to the overall CAT (-2.89% LCI), projecting a 26% decline over three generations as against 30%.
https://stateofindiasbirds.in/species/pas-indrol2/
Range and Grid Coverage
Compared to other species like the Indian Courser, the Indian Roller has relatively high range coverage. The Current Annual Trend (CAT) used in the Red List assessment was derived from grids covering 42% of its range, which is quite high for a wide-ranging species. Among species classified by SoIB as having a “Very Large” range, the Indian Roller falls in the 71st percentile, meaning its range coverage is higher than 70% of similar species.
Within-grid coverage is lower (9%), which would be a concern for habitat specialists. However, since the Indian Roller is an open landscape species, this lower within-grid coverage is less critical. More details are available here:
https://zenodo.org/records/11124590/files/02_SoIB_2023_main.xlsx
State Trends
The Indian Roller is one of the few species for which conclusive Current Annual Trends (CAT) are available for a number of Indian states:
Rapid Decline
Uttar Pradesh
CAT LCI: 5% | Projected decline: 46%
https://stateofindiasbirds.in/species/up-indrol2/
Maharashtra
CAT LCI: 4.45% | Projected decline: 42%
https://stateofindiasbirds.in/species/mh-indrol2/
Karnataka
CAT LCI: 2.99% | Projected decline: 30%
https://stateofindiasbirds.in/species/ka-indrol2/
Decline
Andhra Pradesh
CAT LCI: 2.26% | Projected decline: 24%
https://stateofindiasbirds.in/species/ap-indrol2/
Gujarat
CAT LCI: 4.42% | Projected decline: 42%
https://stateofindiasbirds.in/species/gj-indrol2/
Kerala (not a stronghold)
CAT LCI: 1.5% | Projected decline: 16%
https://stateofindiasbirds.in/species/kl-indrol2/
Madhya Pradesh
CAT LCI: 2.73% | Projected decline: 28%
https://stateofindiasbirds.in/species/mp-indrol2/
Tamil Nadu
CAT LCI: 1.89% | Projected decline: 20%
https://stateofindiasbirds.in/species/tn-indrol2/
Note: If the mean CAT values are used instead of LCI, the projected declines would be even higher.
Methodology Details
See: Viswanathan et al. (2024)
https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.09.05.611348v1
This bird is often associated with Dussehra and Durga Puja. Seeing an Indian Roller on Dussehra is believed to bring good luck and remove obstacles. The bird is also associated with Lord Shiva and is said to be sacred to Vishnu. The bird is sometimes caught and released during festivals, but this practice is now considered inhumane and is discouraged.
Detecting and understanding population trends in the Indian Roller (Coracias benghalensis) remains challenging, and identifying causes of observed declines—where they occur—is even more complex. Although the species appears to be declining in some parts of India, the drivers of these trends remain poorly understood and merit urgent research attention. Potential contributing factors, such as diet-related impacts including biomagnification, and the loss or transformation of open landscapes, should be specifically investigated. Rigorous, effort-controlled, and spatially randomized systematic monitoring is essential to link potential threats with observed trends in population.
This analysis compares population trend estimates for Indian Roller from two prominent sources: eBird Status & Trends (S&T) and the State of India’s Birds (SoIB), both of which draw on eBird data but employ different methodologies.
The SoIB trend spans 2015–2022 and uses only directly observed data. Where data are sparse or absent, trends are not estimated, resulting in some states lacking trend information.
In contrast, eBird S&T covers 2014–2021 and applies machine learning algorithms to estimate abundance, incorporating habitat covariates and extrapolating to under-sampled areas. Consequently, eBird S&T provides more spatially complete trends.
For eight Indian states where both sources provide trend estimates, annual percentage changes were derived and compared. The Median trend from eBird S&T and Lower Confidence Interval (LCI) from SoIB (following their recommended practice) were used. Based on this, states were categorized into three groups:
1. Very Similar Trends (Difference < 5%)
Tamil Nadu: eBird: -1.79%; SoIB: -1.89%
Andhra Pradesh: eBird: -2.27%; SoIB: -2.26%
2. Declining in Both, SoIB Shows Greater Decline
Karnataka: eBird: -1.13%; SoIB: -2.99%
Maharashtra: eBird: -2.13%; SoIB: -4.45%
Uttar Pradesh: eBird: -2.01%; SoIB: -5.01%
3. Declining in Both, eBird Shows Greater Decline
Kerala: eBird: -4.77%; SoIB: -1.50%
4. Contrasting Trends (Opposite Directions)
Gujarat: eBird: +0.89%; SoIB: -4.42%
Madhya Pradesh: eBird: +1.85%; SoIB: -2.73%
The relative abundance heat map from eBird S&T (link: https://science.ebird.org/en/status-and-trends/species/indrol2/abundance-map?week=1) suggests higher concentrations of Indian Rollers in Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, eastern Maharashtra, and parts of Karnataka, compared to states like Kerala and western Maharashtra, say for peninsular India. Visual inspection of the eBird S&T trend map (https://science.ebird.org/en/status-and-trends/species/indrol2/trends-map?week=1®ionCode=IND-3253) indicates widespread declines across peninsular India and the Gangetic plains, with apparent increases in northwestern and parts of central India.
In Rajasthan, while SoIB lacks a definitive trend, visual interpretation of the trend chart (https://stateofindiasbirds.in/wp-content/uploads/2024/trends/originals/Indian-Roller_rj_CAT_trend.png) suggests stability or even a positive trend, directionally consistent with eBird S&T's trend (eBird S&T estimate a 24% increase). Similarly, eBird S&T reports increases in the Kachchh region of Gujarat, while Saurashtra shows declines.
These contrasting trends may perhaps reflect underlying ecological changes. For instance, regions with improving trends coincide with areas undergoing certain land-use changes such as anti-desertification measures or agricultural expansion. Anecdotal accounts of increases in the Middle East (e.g., Arabia) raise the question of whether such trends are linked to increased cropland/green area, slightly contrasting with narratives that primarily emphasize urbanization and deforestation (as mentioned in say Birds of the World). [well, urbanization in Middle East can mean more green areas, contrary to urbanization in the Indian subcontinent].
Data from neighboring regions, especially Pakistan, particularly along the Indus basin, could further inform regional population dynamics and conservation assessments.
Detecting Subtle Declines in Common Species
It is important to emphasize the difficulty in perceiving small declines in widespread species like the Indian Roller. A 20–30% decline over 11.6 years—which meets the threshold for Near Threatened under IUCN Criterion A—translates to an annual decline of 1.8–2.9%. Over 7–8 years (the range for available comparative data now), this results in a 12–20% cumulative decline.
Such a decline, while biologically significant, is difficult to detect without regular monitoring; either by a single observer or through a pool of observers like in eBird. For instance, a decline from 10 to 7–9 individuals (or checklist records) over a decade may not register as a perceptible change to casual observations, or even for a single observer until they look at their own data. The species would still be considered “common” in many areas despite measurable declines. Admittedly, some places, this decline will be precipitous, and more noticeable, but most places, such a decline will go unnoticed.
To me, this highlights the importance of approaches of evaluation frameworks such as the IUCN Red List process….where they recommend
Assessors should adopt a precautionary but realistic attitude, and resist an evidentiary approach to uncertainty when applying the criteria
This approach, I believe, ensures that even gentle declines in widespread species are considered early warnings for conservation assessments and the category Near Threatened is well-suited for that.
Whatever the decision here is, it would need to be taken based on the limited 'data' available at the disposal for the assessors.
Indian Roller being a widespread common resident species in India no attempt has been made to quantify its numbers. Hence as such no population estimate is available. Most suggestions are made based on the casual observation not specific. In some states like Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh frequency of sightings are relatively higher than Tamil Nadu, its decline was not properly documented due to lack of long term baseline data. However Its frequency of sightings in Tamilnadu is definitely going down probably due to the loss of palm groves and Palmyra tree – one of its most preferred nesting trees and reduction in cultivable land.To list under this least concern species into near-threatened category more information from other parts of India on its frequency of sightings are needed. Hence it can remain under the least concern category till concrete evidences are obtained.
As part of an exploratory survey from 13 November to 1 December 2024 (19 days), two of us, along with resident birdwatchers, visited several districts in southern Punjab and northern Haryana (https://ebird.org/tripreport/292645).
Over the course of the survey, we covered a variety of habitats across the districts of Hisar, Fazilka, Patiala, Sahibzada Ajit Singh Nagar, Sangrur, Sirsa, Chandigarh, Faridkot, Kaithal, Sri Muktsar Sahib, Bathinda, Kurukshetra, Barnala, Fatehabad, Jind, and Ambala.
This effort involved 3,974 minutes (66.23 hrs) of birding and approximately 196 km of walking. Much of our travel was by road, during which we submitted incidental or incomplete bird checklists while driving. Despite the time and distance covered, we recorded the Indian Roller only 12 times—including individuals perched on wires along the road—and none of these sightings were from Haryana.
It appears that southern Punjab, especially the areas bordering Haryana, may not be a stronghold for the Indian Roller.
Samakshi Tiwari and Mittal Gala
This species is a breeding resident and a breeding summer visitor to southern and central Iraq, with post-breeding dispersal.
It faces numerous challenges that are harming its population in Iraq, such as the clearing of suitable habitats and population expansion.
Recent decades have witnessed the clearing of orchards and trees favored by this species for nesting and breeding. Some are also hunted in various regions of Iraq and sold in local markets, though in limited numbers. Chicks are also collected and sold in local markets or via social media.
Many thanks to everyone who has contributed to this discussion. We greatly appreciate the time and effort invested in commenting. The window for consultation is now closed and we are unable to accept any more comments until 25 April 2025. We will now analyse and interpret the information, and we will post a preliminary decision on this species’ Red List category on this page on 25 April 2025, when discussions will re-open.
Preliminary proposal
We thank all those who have taken the time to comment on this species – the breadth and detail of information is very helpful to infer the extinction risk of this species. While we recognise the caution suggested by A. Krishnan in using citizen science data to infer population trends, it is also necessary for us to consider all available data in the inference of extinction risk. For species like Indian Roller, these eBird-derived trend data are the only sources that provide some detail on the species’ population trend (particularly its magnitude) – it is therefore appropriate that we use it. As noted by Praveen J, the range coverage that these methods have in India (42%) is rather high, thus the spatial coverage is definitely not poor (as described by A. Krishnan).
We particularly thank Praveen J for his very detailed explanation of the SoIB data, particularly in relation to the eBird Status and Trends dataset. While there are considerable uncertainties with both methods, it is also the case that both indicate this species is declining across much of its range (albeit at different rates and with some geographic idiosyncrasies).
Overall, the original proposal is still believed to represent a reasonable, if precautionary, interpretation of the data, and the preliminary proposal for the 2025 Red List is still to list the species as Near Threatened. We hope this discussion also encourages more regular monitoring data for species using other methods.
There is now a period for further comments until the final deadline on 4 May 2025, after which the recommended categorisations will be put forward to IUCN.
The final 2025 Red List categories will be published on the BirdLife and IUCN websites in October 2025, following further checking of information relevant to the assessments by both BirdLife and IUCN.
Since the publication The State of India’s Birds —in Nepal also our attention has been drawn towards a possible decline of this species. They are still seen frequently in the lowlands but their numbers are lower. We continue to assess its population in Nepal.
A fairly common bird of the opener areas viz. croplands, rural environs, forest-farmland edge and light deciduous forests/woodlands; the Indian Roller seems to be holding on unlike some of its open-area co-habitants in Gujarat. It is still not uncommon to see Indian Rollers perched on wires and poles passing through crop-fields as well as in light, deciduous, teak-dominated eastern forest belt. My gut feeling though is that the species is on a (slight) decline. However, as rightly pointed out by some observers in their comments; it is not that easy or accurate to decipher a clear trend for India as a country. Several factors could be serving as threats for the species, of which the following seem important in Gujarat:
1. Changes in the crop pattern (with concomitant changes irrigation levels, intensity of fertilizer-pesticide use etc.) leading to altered/reduced food availability. This needs to be investigated and substantiated with studies.
2. Changing land use i.e. conversion of open/multiple-use land into industrial or residential (hence more vegetated) use mainly in suburban and rural areas leading to decrease/increase in suitable habitat respectively. Residential areas apparently grow more tree cover and turn greener compared to industrial use areas. Also, industrial invasion is almost permanent loss of habitat for the species.
3. Increased use of pesticides and consequent bio-magnification
4. Decreased availability of nesting sites (large trees with natural cavities) and possible competition with other secondary cavity-nesters?
Although there is paucity of data from across the country, available evidence and prudence demand upgrading of the species’ status.
I think it is a balanced decision. The frequency of sighting of Indian Roller, the state bird of Odisha, has been definitely on a decline particularly in Odisha state, although no hard data is available. Even if the distribution range of the bird is very large, as a precautionary principle, its status needs to be upgraded to that of near threatened for better surveillance and monitoring hereon.
Many thanks to everyone who has contributed to this discussion. We greatly appreciate the time and effort invested in commenting. The window for consultation is now closed and we are unable to accept any more comments. We will analyse and interpret the information, and a final decision on this species’ Red List category will be posted on this page on 12 May 2025.
Recommended categorisation to be put forward to IUCN
The final categorisation for this species has not changed. Indian Roller is recommended to be listed as Near Threatened, approaching thresholds under Criteria A2bcd+4bcd. (Note the addition of subcriteria (b) and (c), not in the original proposal. These have been added based on comments received during this consultation, which provide a clearer picture of possible threats affecting this species.)
Many thanks for everyone who contributed to the 2025.2 GTB Forum process. The final Red List categories will be published on the BirdLife and IUCN websites in October 2025, following further checking of information relevant to the assessments by both BirdLife and IUCN.