The Indian roller (Coracias benghalensis) belongs to the family of rollers, Coraciidae.
These species of rollers are distributed in Indian subcontinent, Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Oman, Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates. The rollers perform rolling aerial acrobatics with twists and turns during courtship or territorial flights, hence the name. There are two recognized subspecies of the Indian roller.
- Appearance, description and pictures
- Distribution and habitat
- Feeding and breeding habits
- Migration and conservation status
Indian roller - Overview
- Scientific name: Coracias benghalensis
- Species author: (Linnaeus, 1758)
- Synonyms/Protonym: Corvus benghalensis Linnaeus, 1758, Coracias indica
- Family: Coraciidae › Coraciiformes › Aves › Chordata › Animalia
- Vernacular names: English: Indian roller, Chinese: 棕胸佛法僧, French: Rollier indien, German: Bengalenracke, Spanish: Carraca india, Russian: Бенгальская сизоворонка, Japanese: インドブッポウソウ, Arabic: الشقراق الهندي, Malay: Burung Tiong Gajah
- Other names: Indian Blue Roller, Northern Roller, Southern Blue Roller
- Distribution: Indian subcontinent, Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Oman, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates
- Diet and feeding habits: beetles, moths, locusts, crickets, mantises, wasps, ants, caterpillars, winged termites, small vertebrates
- IUCN status listing: Least Concern (LC)
Appearance, physical description and identification
The Indian roller (Coracias benghalensis) is a medium sized bird, measuring 30 to 35 cm in length and weighing 160 to 180 grams.The neck and throat are pale purplish brown with whitish shaft streaks. The breast, back and nape are brownish. The crown, abdomen and vent region are blue. The primary feathers are purplish blue with a band of pale blue. The tail is sky blue with a terminal band of dark blue. The bare skin around the eye is rusty brown. The bill is long and compressed with a hooked tip. The roller call is a harsh crow-like sound.
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| Image of Indian roller - Coracias benghalensis |
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| Picture of Indian roller - Coracias benghalensis |
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| Image of Indian roller - Coracias benghalensis |
Origin, geographical range and distribution
The Indian roller is distributed in India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Oman, Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates. Vagrant birds have been recorded in Maldives, Qatar, Syria and Turkey.The subspecies C. b. benghalensis is distributed in Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Oman, Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, Nepal, Bhutan and Bangladesh. The subspecies C. b. indicus is distributed in Central and South India and Sri Lanka.
Ecosystem and habitat
The Indian roller species have very low forest dependency. They inhabit various ecosystems having open areas and pastures. They inhabit open farmlands, grasslands, fallow agricultural fields, plantations, urban parks, rural gardens, tropical and subtropical dry forests and dry savanna.Diet and feeding habits
The diet of these species is mostly beetles, moths, locusts, crickets, mantises, wasps, ants, caterpillars and winged termites. They feed on the ground. They also feed on small vertebrates like frogs, lizards and snakes.Reproduction and breeding habits
The breeding season of these roller species is mainly in March to June in India. The male establishes territory with rolling and diving aerial display which is typical of rollers. These birds are monogamous. They nest in tree holes, rock crevices and abandoned woodpecker holes. The clutch contains 3 to 5 eggs. the eggs are white and nearly spherical. Both the parents incubate the eggs and feed the hatchlings.Migration and movement patterns
These roller species are non-migratory resident birds. Post breeding dispersal of juveniles takes place. They may make local movements for feeding and breeding.Conservation status and concerns
The global population size of the Indian roller (Coracias benghalensis) has not been quantified. The overall population size is considered to be slow increasing. In most of its ranges this roller species is reported to be common and abundant. Their range in Iraq is found to be expanding. Their generation length is 5.6 years.The Indian roller does not approach the thresholds for being Vulnerable either under the range size criterion or under the population trend criterion or under the population size criterion. The IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) has categorized and evaluated the Indian roller (Coracias benghalensis) and has listed it as of "Least Concern".
| Taxonomy and scientific classification of Coracias benghalensis | |
|---|---|
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Coraciiformes |
| Family: | Coraciidae |
| Subfamily: | - |
| Genus: | Coracias |
| Species: | C. benghalensis |
| Binomial name: | Coracias benghalensis |
| IUCN status listing: |  Least Concern |
1.Image source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Indian_roller_by_arshad_ka.jpg
Image author: Arshad.ka5 | License: CC BY 3.0
2.Image source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Indian_roller_(Coracias_benghalensis)_Photograph_by_Shantanu_Kuveskar.jpg
Image author: Shantanu Kuveskar | License: CC BY-SA 4.0
3.Image source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Blue_Jay_or_The_Indian_Roller.JPG
Image author: Mailamal | License: CC BY-SA 3.0
Current topic: Indian roller - Coracias benghalensis.