452 bird species documented in Telangana; what do feathered friends tell us about air, water and other elements we need?

The rocky ledges of Palarathi Gutta near Bejjur of Sirpur-Kaghaznagar in Telangana hosted breeding colonies of the Indian Vulture (Gyps Indicus) – which is listed as ‘Critically Endangered’ in The International Union for Conservation of Nature’s Red List of Threatened Species. However, their breeding activities have ceased following the destruction of nesting ledges due to natural causes. Ongoing habitat degradation, particularly due to land conversion for real estate development, and natural deterioration of their specific habitat requirements further exacerbated the critical status of the species.

This is one of the findings mentioned in the study titled ‘A checklist of avifauna of Telangana, India’, published in The Journal of Threatened Taxa on  Saturday (July 26, 2025). The authors, Chelmela Srinivasulu, professor of Zoology at Osmania University, Hyderabad, and Sriram Reddy, cofounder of Hyderabad Birding Pals, documented 452 bird species, belonging to 24 orders and 82 families, in the study. 

Reflection of environment quality

One of the authors and an avid bird watcher from Hyderabad said that diversity, presence or absence of birds is a clear reflection of the environment quality around us and changes in it. To drive the point, Mr. Sreenivasulu cited an example of Pied Kingfisher which resides near aquatic habitats. “They should be able to see fishes. They live in such areas. Weed growth also keeps these birds away. If a Pied Kingfisher is not spotted at a locality anymore, it means there are changes in the water body,” Mr. Sreenivasulu said. 

Aasheesh Pittie, who is one of the authors of ‘A checklist of birds of Andhra Pradesh’ published in 1989, said that if aquatic birds are disappearing from their habitat, some basic questions arise: Is the water bad? Are we drinking that water? Are there changes in the surroundings? 

What do birds indicate?

“Animals and birds do not speak. But they indicate the condition of the environment (air, water and other elements) we live in. If number of migratory birds continues to decrease, there are changes in the places they used to visit,” said Mr. Aasheesh. 

Of the 452 species documented in the latest checklist, most (339, 75.5%) species have been found to be common, followed  by  uncommon (78 species, 17.37%), and rare (35 species, 7.79%). Regarding the rare species, the authors mentioned that these  species often act  as  indicators of ecosystem health and habitat specificity, providing valuable insights into the region’s biodiversity  significance.