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CoraciidaeCoraciiformes

Lilac-breasted Roller

Coracias caudatus

About

The Lilac-breasted Roller is Africa's most photographed bird. Its plumage is an extraordinary palette of at least eight distinct colors: lilac breast, turquoise underparts, deep blue flight feathers, green head, olive back, and tawny shoulders. During courtship, the male performs breathtaking acrobatic flights — diving, rolling, and swooping with outstretched wings. The national bird of Kenya and Botswana.

Conservation Status

Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Wingspan

50–58 cm

Length

36–38 cm

Weight

87–120 g

Ecology

Habitat

Open savanna, woodland with scattered trees, grasslands

Diet

Large insects, scorpions, small lizards, snails, frogs

Distribution

Sub-Saharan Africa — Eastern and Southern Africa