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Pied Kingfisher Index Showed Clear Declines on Both Time Scales in India

Sharp close-up of a female pied kingfisher in Uttar Pradesh, India
Conservation · Population & status

The 2025 interim update from State of India’s Birds reported revised national numerical estimates for pied kingfisher (Ceryle rudis) in India. The numerical update was released on 6 May 2026.

The long-term numerical trend was estimated at −43.6%, while the current annual estimate was −2.5% per year. Both updated estimates clearly supported a decline.

The species’ modelled distribution range in India was estimated at 2,072,533 km². State of India’s Birds describes pied kingfisher as a resident wetland specialist and retains it in the Moderate conservation-priority category.

The interim release updated numerical range and trend estimates for 942 previously assessed bird species using about 48 million eBird observations through 31 May 2025. The trend values describe change in a reporting-based abundance index rather than direct counts of individual birds. The numerical values were updated, but the conservation categories assigned in the 2023 assessment were not recalculated.

Sources and image credit

  1. State of India’s Birds Partnership. (2026). State of India’s Birds: Range, trends, and conservation status – 2025 interim update (Version 2) [Data set]. Zenodo. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.20036633Primary 2026 release, created 6 May 2026. The update recalculated numerical distribution range size, long-term trend and current annual trend values for 942 species using about 48 million eBird observations through 31 May 2025.
  2. State of India’s Birds Partnership. (2026). Pied Kingfisher (Ceryle rudis) factsheet: 2025 update.Species factsheet reporting a national long-term trend of −43.62% (95% CI −49.28 to −37.09), a current annual trend of −2.51% (−3.12 to −1.91), and an estimated distribution range of 2,072,533 km².

Image: Female pied kingfisher on the Chambal River, Uttar Pradesh, India, 24 November 2017. Representative image; not linked to the national trend analysis. Photo: Charles J. Sharp / Wikimedia Commons. CC BY-SA 4.0. · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Source

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