- Coracias spatulatus
Coracias spatulata
Identification
Length 16".
Rollers are birds with large heads, hooked beaks and short legs. They are shades of blue, purple, and russet especially the spread wings and tail. They are named for the aerial "rolling" during courtships and territorial display. Their voice is a loud and harsh repeated cha or tchek.
Distribution
This bird is found in Angola, Botswana, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, eSwatini, Tanzania, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.
Taxonomy
Coracias spatulatus has two subspecies:
- C. s. spatulatus; and
- C. s. weigalli.
Habitat
Open woodland
Behaviour
The diet includes flying ants and termites, grasshoppers, and crickets as well as centipedes and scorpions. They occur singly or in pairs, groups of 6-7 are sometimes seen. They scan the ground from a perch then swoop down to the ground to catch and eat prey.
