If you appreciate nature and wildlife now more than ever, you’re not alone. I’m always in awe of the incredible creatures that roam the earth and think how lucky we are to live in a time when many of them are still around before we kill them all off (a bit dark, I know, but for real). For instance, the lilac-breasted roller is one of the most colorful, vibrant birds I’ve ever seen, though sadly not with my own eyes. How majestic is this little thing?!
- The lilac-breasted roller is native to Africa. It can be found largely in sub-Saharan African, though it’s also a vagrant to the southern Arabian Peninsula (think Yemen, Oman, Saudi Arabia, etc.). It’s in the Coracias genus of birds that tend to be found in the woodlands of western Eurasia and Africa and is sometimes referred to as the fork-tailed roller or Mosilikatze’s roller.
- Their features are incredibly vibrant. While the lilac-breasted roller is known as such due to its purple chest feathers, it also features brilliant shades of turquoise, azure blue, pinks, and oranges. Plus, unlike many species of birds which differ in appearance between males and females, that’s not the case with these beauties.
- They like to hang out solo or in small groups. You won’t find lilac-breasted rollers in massive flocks. Instead, they’re usually spotted alone or one other. They like to check things out from high vantage points, especially since they’re always on the lookout for insects to eat, so you won’t usually find them anywhere that there aren’t a lot of trees. However, they do occasionally venture out into open savannahs or other grassy clearings.
- The lilac-breasted roller is the unofficial bird of Kenya and Botswana. And it’s easy to see why — who wouldn’t want one of these gorgeous little creatures as their officially unofficial bird? I only hope I’m lucky enough to see one in real life one day.
