Lilac-breasted rollers are a feast for the eyes. Their blue, purple, and turquoise plumage stand out against grasslands and open woodlands. These exotic birds are skilled hunters, with arial acrobatics that keep birdwatchers entertained. Let’s learn 14 facts about Lilac-breasted rollers!
14 Facts About Lilac-breasted Rollers
1. Lilac-breasted rollers are native to sub-Saharan Africa.
You won’t see a Lilac-breasted roller in North America. Their range is limited to the continent of Africa. They are year-round residents of open woodlands south of the Saharan Desert.
While they don’t migrate, they generally move around in their range according to the rainy and dry seasons.
2. Males’ and females’ feathers are similar colors.
The only way to tell males and females apart is via size. Males are a bit larger than females. Otherwise, both sexes look exactly the same.
They have a bright purple throat, olive crown, and turquoise abdomen. Their wings can be olive tinged with brown. They have tail streamers that fly behind them when they soar through the air.
3. They can live up to 10 years old.
In the wild, Lilac-breasted rollers live around ten years. Animals which pose a threat to them include hawks and falcons. One such falcon is the peregrine falcon.
In situations where they are kept captive and away from threats, they can live for several more years.
4. They are ambush predators.
Many carnivorous birds perch where they have a vantage point to watch for prey. The Lilac-breasted roller is no different.
They perch on a fence post, tree branch, or the top of a snag and looks out over their territory. When they see an exposed grasshopper or beetle, they dive down and snag it with their beak.
If the prey is large enough to fight back, some birds beat their quarry against the ground to kill it before they swallow it whole.
5. They get their name from their purple feathers and aerial acrobatics.
The name of this bird has two parts. First, “lilac-breasted” refers to their bright purple breast.
Second, the word ‘roller’ is a reference to the way these birds fly. They fold in their wings when they dive, rolling through the air like vibrant torpedoes.