GOSAVI ET AL.: Blue-cheeked Bee-eater 117 Status of Blue-cheeked Bee-eater Merops persicus in south-western India Paresh Gosavi, Harikumar Mannar, Sumesh P. B., Vinay K. L. & Mohammed Saleem Gosavi, P, Mannar, H., Sumesh, P. B., Vinay, K. L., & Saleem, M., 2019. Status of Blue-cheeked Bee-eater Merops persicus in south-western India. Indian BIRDS 15 (4): 117–119. Paresh Gosavi, Blooming lily, Bella Vista Corlim, Goa, India. E-mail:
[email protected] [PG] Harikumar Mannar, Chittammethu House, Kuttenperoor P.O., Mannar, Alappuzha, Kerala, India. E-mail:
[email protected] [HM] Sumesh P.B., Puthiyaparambil House, Ezhupunna South P.O., Cherthala, Alappuzha, Kerala, India. E-mail:
[email protected] [SPB] Vinay K. L., #3149, Roayalkeri, Honnavara 581334, Karnataka, India. E-mail:
[email protected] [VKL] Mohammed Saleem, Environment Conservation Group, 103, N. H. Road, Opp. Naaz Theatre, Coimbatore 641001, Tamil Nadu, India. E-mail:
[email protected] [MS] Manuscript received on 23 April 2019. he Blue-cheeked Bee-eater Merops persicus is a well-known almost every month till date in that general area (Mannar & passage migrant / winter visitor to the northern and north- Sumesh 2016; eBird 2019). HM & SPB have documented it Twestern Indian Subcontinent (Ali & Ripley 1987; Grimmett attempting to breed [158] at that site (Mannar & Sumesh 2015), et al. 2011; Rasmussen & Anderton 2012). However, post-2015 though in subsequent years, they were not able to provide any there are an increasing number of sightings from southern India more breeding evidence. Retrospectively, the first report from as well, which have been reported by eBirders from the states Kerala was also from Changaram on 10 March 2012 [159] by of Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, and Goa (eBird 2019).