Lilac Breasted Roller (Coracias caudatus) lives in savanna across Sub-Saharan Africa. It feeds on insects and spiders. Its conservation status is Least Concern.
Fascinating facts about the Lilac Breasted Roller
- At just 104 grams, the lilac-breasted roller its body stretches 36-38 cm long, and its tail adds another 8-9 cm of streamer. Its wings span 50-58 cm. These compact dimensions let the bird zip between trees and grass, turning open savanna into a three-dimensional hunting arena where speed and maneuverability trump size.
- Both parents guard a nest tucked 5 m (16 ft) up in a hollow tree or termite mound, and lay a clutch of 2-4 eggs, three to four in Somalia, two to four in southern Africa. They take turns incubating the eggs for 22-24 days, then raise altricial hatchlings that sprout full feathers in just 19 days.
- The lilac-breasted roller roams from sea level up to 2,000 m, a vertical range comparable to climbing from a beach to the summit of a modest mountain. Preferring open woodlands and savanna with scattered trees, it perches high to scan for prey, yet avoids treeless deserts and urban sprawl. Its unofficial status as Kenya's national bird reflects how this adaptable flyer embodies the country's diverse landscapes.
- A true perch-hunter, the roller's menu reads like a mini-zoo: ground insects, spiders, scorpions, centipedes, millipedes, snails and even small birds. It watches from a lofty perch, sometimes even atop a grazing antelope, then darts down to snatch prey with its beak. Small catches are swallowed on the spot, while larger victims are carried back to a perch and beaten until dismembered.
- the male roller climbs to astonishing heights of 69-144 m, before swooping down in dramatic dives. broadcast a harsh, discordant cry.
Sources
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At a glance
RangeSub-Saharan Africa
HabitatSavanna
DietInsects and spiders
About the Lilac Breasted Roller
As the sun rises over the savannah, the lilac-breasted roller unfurls its majesty, its iridescent feathers glowing like a whispered promise of wonder. With a fluid, aerial dance, it takes to the skies, its wings beating in a slow, deliberate rhythm as it patrols its territory, ever vigilant for the insects and small reptiles that will sustain it. In this realm of grasses and acacia trees, the lilac-breasted roller reigns, a resplendent monarch of colour and movement, its very presence a testament to the beauty and vitality of the African wilderness.
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Lilac Breasted Roller photographed on Feravox
