LILAC-BREASTED ROLLER
LILAC-BREASTED ROLLER (Coracias caudatus) – (See images below)
The Lilac-breasted Roller is about the same size as a crow. As their name implies, the breast is lilac-colored whereas the abdomen and part of the wings are blue. There is beige on the wings and the back of the neck is olive. The tail has long black feathers. They have a large head relative to the body.
These birds hunt by perching from a vantage point. They care very protective of their territory, especially during breeding season.
The name ‘roller’ is due to the fact that many birds of this family indulge in acrobatic aerial shows during courtship, and also when they fight for territory. Rollers are birds of the subtropical and tropical Old World, mainly in Africa.
The Lilac-breasted roller is considered to be the national bird of Kenya.
The Lilac-breasted Roller is about the same size as a crow. As their name implies, the breast is lilac-colored whereas the abdomen and part of the wings are blue. There is beige on the wings and the back of the neck is olive. The tail has long black feathers. They have a large head relative to the body.
These birds hunt by perching from a vantage point. They care very protective of their territory, especially during breeding season.
The name ‘roller’ is due to the fact that many birds of this family indulge in acrobatic aerial shows during courtship, and also when they fight for territory. Rollers are birds of the subtropical and tropical Old World, mainly in Africa.
The Lilac-breasted roller is considered to be the national bird of Kenya.
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| Lilac-breasted roller, Tanzania, Jan. 2018 |