Lilac Breated Roller

Description:

The average size of the Lilac Breasted Roller is 14.5 inches. The washed green head is large, the neck is short, the greenish yellow legs are rather short and the feet are small. The beak is strong, arched and hooked-tipped. The tail is narrow and of medium length. The back and scapulars are brown. The shoulder of the wing, outer webs of the flight feathers and the rump are all violet. The bases of the primaries and their coverts are pale greenish blue and the outer tail feathers are elongated and blackish. The chin is whitish, shading to rich lilac of the breast. The underparts are greenish blue. The bill is black and the eyes are brown. It has large wings and strong flight.

Habitat:

Occurs from Ethiopia south through Tanzania, southern DRC, Zambia and Angola to southern Africa. Within southern Africa it is common in Namibia (excluding the Namib Desert), Botswana, Zimbabwe, Mozambique and north-eastern South Africa. It generally prefers dry woodland, such as Acacia savanna, miombo woodland, palm savanna and mopane woodland. It often occupies the border between woodland and grassy clearings, using the former for breeding and the latter for foraging.