Purple Roller
Coracias naevius
A bulky roller that is mostly dull purple-cinnamon in color; it is flecked with many fine white streaks and has a bold white eyebrow. It exposes colorful blue wings and tail while performing an acrobatic rolling flight display. Singles and pairs sit conspicuously in open savanna, preferring thornveld and drier woodlands. It perches on exposed snags and swoops to the ground to hunt large invertebrates and small vertebrates. A partial resident, it also enganges in complicated seasonal movements in parts of its range. The similarly-plumaged Broad-billed Roller is smaller, has a bright yellow (not dark) bill, and prefers moister habitats.
Identification
The purple roller is the largest of the rollers, growing to a length of 35 to 40 cm (14 to 16 in). Adults weigh from 145 to 200 g (5.1 to 7.1 oz) with an average weight of 168 g (5.9 oz). From a distance it appears a dull brownish bird with a white stripe over the eye, a patch of white on the nape and a dark tail. Northern populations tend to have a rufus crown while southern populations have a more olive-green crown. The underparts are purplish-pink streaked with white. The wings are long and rounded while the tail is square-cut. The voice is a rather grating "ka" or "gaa", repeated rapidly and evenly.
Taxonomy
The purple roller was formally described in 1800 by the French zoologist François Marie Daudin under the binomial name Coracias naevia. Daudin's description was based on a specimen collected in Senegal. The specific epithet is from Latin naevius meaning "spotted" or "marked". A molecular phylogenetic study published in 2018 found that the purple roller was most closely related to the racket-tailed roller (Coracias spatulatus).<p>The phylogenetic relationships among the Coracias species are shown below, from the molecular study by Johansson et al. (2018)<p>Two subspecies are recognised:
- Scientific name
- Coracias naevius
- Authority
- Daudin, 1800
- Order
- Coraciiformes
- Family
- Coraciidae
- Genus
- Coracias
Range and habitat
- Migration
- Complete migrants
Behavior
Migration pattern: Complete migrants.
Conservation
Population trend: declining.
- Population trend
- declining
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
Ethiopian Cisticola
Cisticola lugubris
A relatively colorful, mid-sized, long-tailed cisticola. Note the gray-brown back with thick black streaks, the rufous on the wing and cap, and the whitish underparts. Tail is slightly longer in non-breeding plumage. Found in wetlands, moist grassland, and scrub. Similar to Stout Cisticola, but has a slimmer bill, longer tail, and brighter rufous wing panel. The vocalizations are quick bursts of rough calls, usually followed by the dry, trilling song.
Speke's Weaver
Ploceus spekei
A chunky, short-tailed, long-billed weaver of dry country. Breeding males are mostly yellow with a black face mask, a pale eye, and a heavily streaked back. Females, non-breeding males, and juveniles are much duller, brownish-olive overall with a pale eye. Found locally in open savanna, often in small flocks. Superficially similar to the pale-eyed Lesser Masked-Weaver, but much chunkier and larger-billed, with a streakier back. Vocalizations are typical of weavers: “chek” notes and a squealing, sizzling “radio static” song.
Scallop-breasted Antpitta
Grallaricula loricata
Tiny, plump antpitta with long legs, short bill, and short tail. Chestnut head and brown back; white underparts markedly scalloped black. Throat white or buff with thin darker moustaches. Essentially a much smaller version of Chestnut-crowned Antpitta. Sexes similar. Difficult to see, mostly near the ground in forests with open understory. Locally uncommon in mossy cloud forest rich in palms. When perched, swings its body side-to-side. Easy to detect by voice, a simple, high pitched and descending whistle. Endemic to the Coastal Cordillera of Venezuela.
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