If it was just a sighting that people wanted , the bird would live its full 17 years as it has adjusted to the constant felling of trees and the disruption of its habitat. But unfortunately it is this sacred nature of the bird that is making it lose its life. While it is the state bird of Karnataka the Latin name is Coracias benghalensis : originally from Bengal and it is in Bengal that the least number of Neelkanth remain.

This is what Thomas Claverhill Jerdon ( after whom the Jerdon’s Courser is named) writes “Before the Durga Puja,the Hindoos of Calcutta purchase one of these birds and at the time they throw the image of Durga into the river, set the Nilkant at liberty. It is considered propitious to see it on this date and those who cannot afford to buy one discharge their matchlocks to put it on the wing. “

Unfortunately the Neelkant is one more victim of Durga Puja amd Dashera in Bengal. It is trapped by poachers for weeks before the festival and sold in the local bazaars. It will be released at the end of Durga Puja to take the message of the devotee to the Goddess. The trapping is done by professional criminals who know that the rNeelkanth returns to the same nest again and again. They take out the small babies and trap the parents. 50% of these beautiful birds are killed during the trapping. 20% die in transport and the rest die after they are “ released” as they are all wounded , disoriented and starved . Thousands of Shiva’s birds lose their lives in this meaningless and vicious activity. The wildlife department of West Bengal turns a blind eye to Hathibagan where the birds are sold openly. Some communities do it in Gujarat as well for Navratri but that is now becoming less and less. In Bengal it is on the increase.