Pre-roost Site, ICRISAT, Andhra Pradesh. © Ashok Verma.

Roost habitats are critical resources for birds where they spend considerable time and therefore are crucial for their survival. It becomes even more important for top predators like harriers which roost communally on the ground and travel long distances everyday to reach such sites far off their foraging grounds. Harriers are open country raptors forage mainly in crop fields, grasslands and wetlands. Though widely spread little information is available on their status and wintering requirements in India - one of the largest wintering grounds in the world.

The project aims at identifyig various communal roost sites spread across south India especially Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh, monitoring population, studying roosting requirements and winter diet and addressing major threats being faced. The study will also provide a baseline database for long term monitoring of harriers in south India. Training programs on ‘Harrier identification and their monitoring methods’ will be organised and Leaflets about harriers will distributed among students and Bird enthusiasts, Forest Department, and NGOs so as to form a network for long term monitoring of harriers and for creating awareness about harriers’ role in the environment and for thier habitat conservation.