Category: Lilac Breasted Roller

This little bird captivated me from my first sighting, but proved to be a difficult photography subject for the first couple of days.  Obviously there was the usual scenario – that birds don’t necessarily sit still long enough for photographs.  Then I had overcast weather or flat out rain that did not do the colours justice, or fading evening light.  But in the end, I managed several lovely shots, one of which is now framed so I can see it every day.

From Wikipedia:

“The Lilac-breasted Roller (Coracias caudatus) is a member of the roller family of birds. It is widely distributed in sub-Saharan Africa and the southern Arabian Peninsula, preferring open woodland and savanna; it is largely absent from treeless places. Usually found alone or in pairs, it perches conspicuously at the tops of trees, poles or other high vantage points from where it can spot insects, lizards, scorpions, snails, small birds and rodents moving about at ground level.^[2]

Nesting takes place in a natural hole in a tree where a clutch of 2–4 eggs is laid, and incubated by both parents, who are extremely aggressive in defence of their nest, taking on raptors and other birds. During the breeding season the male will rise to great heights, descending in swoops and dives, while uttering harsh, discordant cries.

The sexes are alike in coloration. Juveniles do not have the long tail feathers that adults do.

This species is the national bird of Botswana and Kenya.”

This is the photo that I have framed 🙂