INDIAN ROLLER

Description:

I spotted this blue jay at Belgundi on the way to Rakaskop in Belgaum

Habitat:

The main habitat is cultivation, thin forest and grassland. They are often seen perched on roadside electric wires.

Notes:

The Indian Roller is a stocky bird about 26–27 cm long and can only be confused within its range with the migratory European Roller. The breast is brownish and not blue as in the European Roller. The crown and vent are blue. The primaries are deep purplish blue with a band of pale blue. The tail is sky blue with a terminal band of Prussian blue and the central feathers are dull green. The neck and throat are purplish lilac with white shaft streaks. The bare patch around the eye is ochre in colour. The three forward toes are united at the base.