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.
识别特征
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.
分类信息
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:
- 学名
- Coracias naevius
- 命名信息
- Daudin, 1800
- 目
- Coraciiformes
- 科
- Coraciidae
- 属
- Coracias
分布与栖息地
- 迁徙
- Complete migrants
行为
Its preferred habitat is dry thornveld where it spends long periods perched at the top of thorn trees or poles, watching for food items such as insects, spiders, scorpions and small lizards on the ground. It rocks to-and-fro about its longitudinal axis during display flights, calling raucously all the while; starting from above the treetops it plummets towards the ground in rolling flight. It is territorial, and during the breeding season will drive off other rollers, small hawks and crows.<p>This species seems to be an opportunist breeder, possibly linked to rains, as its breeding season varies from place to place. It nests in natural hollows in trees or uses old woodpecker holes, or in cliffs, riverbanks, pipes, or holes in masonry, usually laying three white eggs. The young are fed and incubated by both parents.
保护状况
- 种群趋势
- declining
照片
分布
鸟叫声
其他鸟类
White-winged Snowfinch
Montifringilla nivalis
Distinctive long-tailed and long-winged inhabitant of high alpine zones; can be found slightly lower down in winter and around human habitation (towns, monasteries, ski resorts), where it can be quite approachable. Black-and-white wings striking in flight. In the breeding season, the bill is dark and the chin is black (bill yellowish and chin patch absent in nonbreeding season). The head is paler grey in winter. Feeds on seeds and insects. Song consists of buzzy warbles and chirps. Gives nasal “reep” calls and dry chatters.
Appert's Tetraka
Xanthomixis apperti
Pretty, medium-sized tetraka. Green back, gray head, and rich yellow underparts. Rare and localized Madagascar endemic that is found in a handful of forest patches in the southwest. Most often seen in the understory of western deciduous forest. Often in pairs, small flocks, or mixed-species flocks. Call is a series of silvery, sputtered “spit” notes. In its small range, separated from Spectacled Tetraka by its brighter underparts, gray head, and pale eye-stripe. Much smaller and more brightly colored than Long-billed Bernieria.
Sinai Rosefinch
Carpodacus synoicus
A small and long-tailed, small-billed finch. Virtually unstreaked. Male has a pink face and breast with a whitish forehead and crown. Female is pale gray-brown overall with a whitish belly. Lives in deep desert canyons. Resident or locally nomadic. Often flies long distances to water sources. Its rarely-heard song is a quick series of 6–7 metallic “Tzi-tzi-tzi-tzi-tzi-tzi” notes. Flight call a metallic “Tziup.”
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