JODHPUR, Sept. 2 -- An Afro-Palearctic migratory bird, the European Roller, fitted with a satellite tracker in South Africa, has been tracked in Rajasthan after travelling more than 10,118 kilometres. Jessica Wilmot, Flyway and Migrants Project Manager with BirdLife South Africa, confirmed that the female bird, named Atlas, was tagged in the Kruger National Park on March 28, 2025, and has now been located in Dungargarh, Bikaner district. She shared the update with Dr. Dau Lal Bohra, head of the zoology department at Seth Gyaniram Bansidhar Podar College, Jhunjhunu, who is part of an international network tracking migratory birds. Dr. Bohra said on Monday that satellite surveillance indicated Atlas had crossed into India through Pakistan on August 21 and is now in the Thar desert of Rajasthan. The European Roller (Coracias garrulus), regarded as a flagship species for the East Atlantic Flyway Initiative and a key indicator of ecosystem health, has seen steep declines in recent decades. Populations have dropped by more than 30% in three generations, and cases of local or national extinction have been recorded across Europe. Experts attribute this decline to habitat loss caused by intensive agriculture, reduced nesting sites, pesticide use, and illegal hunting along migration routes. To counter these threats, a Species Action Plan was adopted in 2017 under the Strategic Plan for Migratory Species, highlighting urgent measures such as habitat conservation and mapping migration routes. South Africa, where Atlas was tagged, is considered a key country on this flyway. "By monitoring birds like Atlas, conservationists can map stopover sites that are essential for resting and refuelling during their long journeys. Identifying and safeguarding such habitats is vital to ensuring the survival of this spectacular migrant," Dr. Bohra added. Globally, the European Roller is listed as Least Concern, but in southern Africa, it is considered Near Threatened due to sustained declines since the 1970s. It is protected under the Convention on Migratory Species and is included in the African-Eurasian Migratory Landbird Action Plan. BirdLife South Africa has appealed to birdwatchers in Rajasthan, Gujarat, and across the border in southern Pakistan to look out for the species, especially Atlas, as she continues her journey from her non-breeding grounds in Africa to her breeding grounds in Central Asia....