II. Birds of Splendor
Lilac-breasted roller
Index Naturae
IN 1.40.10-J
Lilac-breasted roller
Coracias caudatus
Young portrait
II. Birds of Splendor
Field notes
The roller waits on a high perch, watching the savanna for insects, lizards and frogs before dropping towards its prey. Its quiet hunting pauses contrast with spectacular display flights: steep climbs, dives and rolling turns that give the bird its name.
- Range
- Eastern and southern Africa.
- Habitat
- Open savanna with scattered trees, shrubs and exposed hunting perches.
Conservation
This widespread bird is still common in suitable savanna. Local landscape change can alter its hunting habitat, while intensive pesticide use can reduce insect prey; abundance today does not make those habitat relationships unimportant.
Sources & conservation context
Source review: 6 October 2026. Assessment dates, where given, belong to the cited source.