Abyssinian Roller

Description:

The Abyssinian roller is a medium sized bird, roughly the size of a jackdaw at 28–30 cm. It has a warm brown back, with the rest of the plumage mainly blue. I believe this is a juvenile bird, without tail streamers.

Habitat:

Very common breeding species all over Sahel, from Senegambia to Ethiopia, Somalia and Kenya; found also in central Arabia. This is a very common bird of warm open country with some trees, but has adapted to farmland and human habitation. They often perch prominently on trees, posts or overhead wires, like giant shrikes, whilst watching for the large insects and small rodents on which they feed. They will dash into the smoke of a forest fire for disturbed invertebrates. They are fearless, and will dive and roll at humans and other intruders. Here, in open woodland around lake Awassa, close to urban setting of a neighboring town.

Notes:

For a long years I thought this was a European roller (no tail streamers), but, in the end I settled for Abyssinian based on my failing memory regarding dates - in May, the European ones should have left already...