Dasara bird poaching puts Indian Pittas, kingfishers at risk

Wildlife activists in Telangana have raised concerns over Indian Pittas and White-throated Kingfishers being captured and displayed during Dasara. They urged authorities to track social media posts showing captive birds and take action against those responsible for the practice

Sangareddy: The close resemblance of the Indian Pitta and White-throated Kingfisher to the Indian Roller has also put the former birds at risk during the Dasara festival, as poachers have captured them and put them on display at various places.

The belief that sighting an Indian Roller brings good luck during Dasara has also contributed to the decline in the population of the Indian Roller, the state bird of Telangana, Karnataka and Odisha.

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Amid the continued decline in the Indian Roller population, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) listed the bird in the “Near Threatened” category in 2025, moving it from the “Least Concern” category.

While the Forest Department and wildlife conservation organisations across Telangana focused on preventing the poaching of Indian Rollers ahead of Dasara, they also came across people capturing White-throated Kingfishers and Indian Pittas, which also migrate to southern India around October.

Several people had posted pictures on social media showing Indian Pittas, colourful passerine birds that breed in the Himalayan foothills and regions of Pakistan and Nepal, in captivity.

Wildlife activist and founding member of the Animal Warriors Conservation Society (AWCS), Santoshi Pradeep, said Indian Pittas became exhausted after flying for hours from northern India to Telangana.

“These birds were crashing into high-rise building balconies after hitting glass facades, while people were keeping them in captivity to watch them during the Dasara festival,” she said.

Several people made reels featuring Indian Pittas on Dasara and posted them on social media. The Forest Department must track these posts and initiate action against those responsible.

One person who captured a blue-tailed bee-eater also posted it on social media, claiming it was an Indian Roller.