We have launched our initiative to conserve, research, high genetic breed improvement of Indigenous cattle and wild life at recently concluded United Nations convection on biological diversity (CoP-11) at Hitex, Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh, India.
"Birds are integral component of agricultural and forest ecosystems. Agricultural habitat provides different types of foods i.e. grains, insects, invertebrates and rodents in addition to nesting materials to the bird species. In recent years, crop intensification has resulted in habitat destruction and over dominance of some species in the bird community," observed and various aspects of agricultural intensification like mechanization and excessive use of pesticides and fertilizers, have witnessed the decline of farmland birds across the country and globe, In Europe, nearly 45% of the bird species have declined across 20 European countries over a 26 year period with farmland birds being worst hit, disclosed they, saying that the threat of habitat destruction is leading to bird population decline in India and before the advent of chemical pesticides, birds did the job of scanning large tracts of agricultural lands for pests such as insects and rodents. The important insectivorous bird species include Black Drongo, Cattle Egret, Pond Heron, Black Ibis, Redwattled Lapwing, Little Green Bee-eater, Indian Roller, Hoopoe, Common Swallow, Shrike, Common Myna, etc and these avian species can help in keeping insect population in agricultural area at a stable balanced level, benefiting the ecosystem.
Indian Roller is also called Palapitta (Telugu) and Blue Jay. It is 13 inches long and is striking blue in colour. Indian Roller weighs around 80 -100 g. Its eyes and bill are black. It has a large head and short neck. Its crown, lower wings, and tail are blue-green in colour. The throat and upper breast are purple in colour. The back and abdomen are gray in colour. Males and females are similar in appearance
Kingdom : Animalia
Phylum : Chordata
Class: Aves
Order : Coraciiformes
Family : Coraciidae
Genus : Coracias
Species : C. benghalensis
Zoological name : Coracias benghalensis
Diet :Indian Roller is omnivorous. It mainly feeds on frogs. It also favors lizards, acorns, grasshoppers, crickets, Butterflies and moths
Reproduction : Incubation takes 18 – 20 days. It lays 4- 5 eggs in the month of March or April. . Males perform ornate sexual displays during the mating season. The eggs are white in colour. It lay eggs in the hole in the trees. The Young are fledged between 17 -20 days. Both the males and females take care of the young ones.
Lifespan : The longevity of Indian Roller exceeds up to 17 years of age
Indian Roller is considered as sacred among the Hindus. The local name is neelkanth (meaning "blue throat"), a name associated with the deity Shiva (who drank poison resulting in the blue throat). During former times, a captive roller would be released by the local ruler during Dussera festival and auspicious to see this bird on Vijaya Dasami. The Indian Roller has been chosen as the state bird by the states of Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Karnataka and Orissa
The state bird is a protected wild animal according to Wild Animals Preservation and Protection Act. Our organization is providing wooden nest boxes for promotion, awareness and conservation of Indian Roller and a space of seven acres are providing to the birds vide in Nizamabad district, Andhra Pradesh, India.