Spring is usually a magical time for most of us. However, with the pandemic and threat of the coronavirus, it’s easy to get distracted and forget about this season. Back then, we used to stroll through flower gardens and watch birds. Now, most of us are quarantined at home, unable to go out and witness nature’s transformation.

Fortunately, there are creatures that help us remember and celebrate spring.

The lilac-breasted roller is one of the most beautiful birds around the globe. It has these nice colors that can surely remind you of spring. With how they look, it’s surely mesmerizing to see them.

The Lilac-breasted roller is considered as the national bird of Botswana and Kenya.

They belong to the Coraciidae family and it’s regarded as one of its most colorful members. Although they aren’t hard to spot, they are mostly found in the Arabian Peninsula and Africa.

In general, the colors on their crown to the mantle is olive. Their ears and cheeks are covered in the lilac shade while their throats deepen into a darker lilac color.

Lilac-breasted roller birds are small birds.

They have an average mass of 104 grams. Their size, on the other hand, ranges between 36 to 38 centimeters. Their fliers have can extend between 50 to 58 centimeters.

The birds like to sit alone or in pairs on treetops, poles, and other high vantage points. The locations enable them to easily spot scorpions, lizards, insects, rodents, and other small animals on the ground.

In the winter, the flock can get bigger. This happens as small families fly together.

And when they are in the air, they can show really amazing acrobatic and flight techniques.

Lilac-breasted rollers are generally monogamous.

They look mostly the same, regardless of their sex. When it comes to breeding, it will depend on the location. However, in general, they breed several times a year.

The like to make flat nests of grass in hollowed out tree cavities. Sometimes, they put it in a termite mound’s side.

In case you are wondering, they aren’t the ones who make the cavities themselves. What they do is occupy the nest spaces that were previously built and occupied by kingfishers and woodpeckers.

Lilac-breasted rollers like to eat small vertebrates and arthropods.

Their diet consists of spiders, millipedes, centipedes, scorpions, and ground-dwelling insects. Sometimes, they also eat slow-moving lizards.

If their prey is small, they will swallow it on the ground. If they are larger, they’ll bring them to a perch and there, they’ll beat the prey until they are able to dismember them.

The birds have a really harsh and raspy call.

It typically doesn’t lass for more than a second. However, they may quickly repeat it.

The pitch doesn’t usually vary, but their tone has a ratting sound. It’s something you’d find surprising, considering the size and appearance of the birds.

Despite how they sound, Lilac-breasted rollers are considered as the silent type.

They are the kind of birds that will just quietly fly around and observe their surroundings. However, once they feel that their territory is in danger, they can become extra vocal. It’s their way to warn others and scare away intruders. They behave the same way during their breeding season, too.

Please SHARE this with your friends and family.

Source: Diply, Inner Splendor