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[[image: lbroller.jpg ]]

'''Common Name:''' Lilac-breasted Roller
 
'''Scientific Name:''' Coracias caudata

'''Size:''' 15 inches (58cm)

'''Habitat:''' Africa; Ethiopia, Djibouti, Somalia, Southern Congo Zaire, Southeastern Uganda, Kenya, Rwanda, Burundi, Tanzania, Angola, Zambia, Malawi, Mozambique, Nambia, Botswana, Zimbabwe and North Zaire. Commonly found in open bush country, wooded grasslands and woodlands from sea level to 2000m.

'''Status:''' Least Concern.  '''Global Population:''' unknown.  Populations increase in summer and decrease in winter.

'''Diet:''' Grasshoppers, beetles, lizards, crabs and occasionally small birds

'''Breeding:''' Rollers nest in tree cavities often using abandoned woodpecker or kingfisher nests. They lay 2-4 eggs and both parents incubate the eggs for 22-24 days. Courtship displays are fast swallow dives from high elevations with a rolling or rocking motion. They are monogamous.

'''Cool facts:''' Bold and confidant, they often swoop down on to prey from high perches. They are acrobatic flyers often rolling to the right or left 4 to 5 times with tucked wings within a couple seconds at a very fast speed, hence the name “Rollers”.

Light and temperature make the feather colors of this bird from brighter or duller, depending on the weather.

Rollers will often lay on ant nests, allowing ants to cover its’ body. The ants remove parasites and scales from its’ feathers.


'''Found in [http://hivewire3d.com/songbird-remix-africa.html Songbird ReMix Africa]'''