Indian Roller: a two-minute wildlife lesson

Parrots and Colourful Birds · day 3 of 7

Five facts

1. To court each other, a pair puts on an air show: steep swoops, somersaults, dives, hovering and rolls from side to side.
2. Perched, the Indian roller can look rather dull. The moment it takes off, its wings flash vivid shades of blue.
3. Wildfires draw it in. It darts straight into the hot smoke to chase insects.
4. Swarms of flying termites are a feast. Up to 40 rollers have been seen lined up along just 70 m of electric wire to hunt them.
5. In northern Oman it is nicknamed the "roundabout bird", because pairs live in the plants growing on traffic roundabouts.

The quiz

1. What does a courting pair of Indian rollers do?

• Drums on hollow logs
• Puffs up a red throat pouch
• Decorates the nest with flowers
• Somersaults and rolls in the air (correct)

Their courtship flights include somersaults, dives, hovering and side rolls.

2. When do the Indian roller's colours look brightest?

• When it sits still
• When it flies (correct)
• Only in the breeding season
• Only when it is young

Its colours look dull when perched but become vivid in flight.

3. Why does the Indian roller fly into the smoke of wildfires?

• To chase insects (correct)
• To warm its eggs
• To clean its feathers
• To hide from eagles

Fires attract it, and it darts into the hot smoke after insects.

4. Up to how many rollers have been seen on 70 m of wire, hunting termites?

• 4
• 10
• 40 (correct)
• 400

As many as 40 rollers have perched on a 70 m stretch of wire.

5. What is the Indian roller nicknamed in northern Oman?

• The bridge bird
• The roundabout bird (correct)
• The lamp-post bird
• The rooftop bird

Pairs live in the plants on roundabouts, hence the nickname.

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