Dussehra Roller Count

Join us for the first-ever Indian Roller Count across four Indian states!

3 to 12 October, 2024

Dussehra Roller Count is a citizen science initiative jointly organised by IISER Tirupati, IIT-Tirupati, and the Tirupati Nature Society, along with bird enthusiasts from Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Odisha, and Telangana, in collaboration with Bird Count India.

Where: Anywhere in Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Odisha, and Telangana

When: 3-12 October, 2024

What: Indian Roller is an insectivore that is culturally significant and crucial for maintaining healthy agricultural ecosystems. It’s also the state bird of Karnataka, Telangana, and Odisha. Its decline, along with many other open habitat birds, highlights the urgent need for efforts to monitor and conserve birds that use open ecosystems and safeguard our agricultural produce. By counting and reporting sightings of Indian Roller, we can help monitor its numbers in various types of open habitats.

How to participate?

• Go birding on any or multiple days between 3 and 12 October 2024.
• Watch and count birds using the protocol outlined below, from anywhere in Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Odisha, and Telangana for the 10 days of the event.
• Although the focus is on four states for this pilot initiative, anyone from any state where the Indian Roller is found is welcome to participate.

Protocol:

Counting Indian Rollers will require travelling some distance for easy detection because they are found in low densities but sit visibly out in the open on wires and trees.

• Decide on a starting point and begin a checklist on the eBird Mobile App.
• Walk exactly 1 km away from your starting point, scanning for rollers.
• Stop the checklist when the distance on your eBird track says 1 km.
• Count Indian Rollers, but also count all species in each checklist, not just Indian Roller.
• All lists should be 1 km ‘Travelling’ and ‘Complete‘ checklists
• Use the ‘Auto selected’ location that the app suggests rather than choosing a hotspot.

Additional Tips:

• Look for rollers anytime of the day, as these insectivorous birds are active throughout the day.
• Upload lists on eBird even if you do not see rollers. It is very important to note absence along with presence.
• Make as many 1 km ‘Travelling’ checklists as you like during the duration of the count (10 days).
• Didn’t do a 1km count but saw a roller? Report it as ‘Incidental’ checklist
• Any other information about Indian Roller is welcome in your checklists, including audio, photographs, and detailed notes of their behaviour or habitat!
• For those new to eBird, do take a look at these ‘Quick videos‘ on Bird Count India’s YouTube channel.

Here are the contacts of regional coordinators for this event.

Andhra Pradesh

Hareesha AS. Email:  [email protected] WhatsApp: 97392 10339

Karnataka

Krishna Murty. Email: [email protected] WhatsApp: 98452 72480

Odisha

Swetashree Purohit. Email: [email protected] WhatsApp: 72058 49006

Telangana

Sriram Reddy. Email: [email protected] WhatsApp: 80089 09994

Header Image: Indian Roller Coracias benghalensis © Saurabh Kalia/Macaulay Library