El Niño draws ‘Kasai Pitta' out in Rayalaseema scrub lands
The long-tailed shrike, Lanius schach, is sighted along the Penna River belt and fringes of the Erramala and Palakonda ranges in Nandyal and Kadapa
In the parched scrublands of Rayalaseema, where summer extends for months, a small avian predator has resurfaced. Dubbed the 'kasai pitta,' a masked shrike known scientifically as Lanius schach, the bird is now observed in the arid stretches of the region. Populations of this long-tailed shrike have been spotted in barren lands and thorny thickets around towns such as Galiveedu, Tamballapalle, Rayachoti, and Lakkireddipalle in Annamayya; Vempalle, Jammalamadugu, and Pulivendula in Kadapa; Gooty, Tadipatri, Penukonda, and Kadiri in Anantapur; Adoni and Pattikonda in Kurnool; and Nagari, Puthalapattu, and Punganur in Chittoor.
The bird, perched silently on tree branches or power lines amidst the fields and forest edges, scans its surroundings for prey. Utilizing its black mask and sharp beak, the kasai pitta catches lizards, grasshoppers, mice, and small snakes. Farmers who come across its impaled prey, pinned to thorns or barbed wire, describe the bird as both cunning and merciless.
While the kasai pitta is classified as Least Concern on the IUCN scale, with a steady global population, its local presence in Rayalaseema is threatened. The region's scrublands are disappearing due to urban expansion, and intensive pesticide use in agricultural areas is decimating its insect food supply. This year, during the El Niño season, sightings of the kasai pitta have increased.
With diminishing vegetation, it is easier for the bird to locate prey on the barren ground, making it more conspicuous. However, the lack of green cover also makes finding prey more challenging, potentially putting the bird's breeding and survival at risk if the scrub ecosystem collapses.
Written by urgent.news from The Hindu's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
