Lilac-breasted Roller ( Coracias caudatus, family: Coraciidae)
The Lilac-breasted Roller (Latin name Coracias caudatus) is described in
Roberts Birds of Southern Africa, 7th Edition. This bird has a unique
Roberts number of 447 and you will find a full description of this bird
on page 169 also a picture of the Lilac-breasted Roller on page 192. The
Lilac-breasted Roller belongs to the family of birds classified as
Coraciidae. According to the Percy FitzPatrick Institute of African
Ornithology the Lilac-breasted Roller is also known by these other
names: Moselikatse's Roller, Fork-tailed Roller.
The Robert's 7 Latin name for Lilac-breasted Roller has changed from Coracias caudata in Robert's 6 to Coracias caudatus
The map of the Kruger you see on this page shows the areas (coloured orange) where this bird has been identified. The basic information was provided by the Avian Demographic Unit based at UCT and I created the maps from that information ... the green dots show the locations of the various Kruger National Park Rest Camps
The Lilac-breasted Roller is neither Endemic or near Endemic to the
Kruger National Park. It is however a common resident
In terms of distribution of the Lilac-breasted Roller in the Kruger National Park you may not see it in all areas. Lilac-breasted Roller : see above distribution map.
The Lilac-breasted Roller.
Identification assistance for this avian species ...
The Lilac-breasted Roller is a bird about the same size as a starling. The height of the Lilac-breasted Roller is about 28 cms and its weight is about 105 gms
The male and female Lilac-breasted Roller have the same plumage and colours
- Head is green.
- Eye is brown.
- Bill is black.
- Throat is lilac.
- Back is blue.
- Legs are green.
This bird has normally proportioned leg length.
Main diet items for this bird ...
The Lilac-breasted Roller feeds on the ground, and on the wing mainly
Invertebrates
Breeding and nesting habits for this bird ...
The Lilac-breasted Roller is monogamous unless its mate dies. In the event of a partner dying Coracias caudatus will seek out a new mate
The nesting habit of Lilac-breasted Roller is to create the nest in a hole in a tree trunk. The bird lays eggs which are white in colour and number between 2 to 4
Habitat and flocking behaviour for this bird ...
The preferred habitats for Lilac-breasted Roller are: woodlands and arid areas including grasslands
You will not see Lilac-breasted Roller in flocks. The bird prefers to act singly or in pairs.
Names of this avian species in other languages ...
Xhosa ... Unknown
Zulu ... iFefe
Afrikaans ...Gewone Troupant
German ... Gabelracke
Portuguese ... Rolieiro-de-peito-lils
French ... Rollier longs brins
Dutch ... Vorkstaartscharrelaar
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For in-depth birding information please refer to these authoritative avian references ...
Robert's 7th edition number ... 447
The main reference source for this data was "Roberts - Birds of Southern Africa, 7th Edition" . Other references were "Newmans Birds of the Kruger Park" by Keith Newman published circa 1980 . Names in foreign languages were obtained from the Percy Fitzpatrick Institute of African Ornithology, University of Cape Town website , www.fitzpatrick.uct.ac.za
