ANIMAL: Blue-Bellied Roller Coracias cyanogaster Type of Animal: Roller Habitat: Warm/hot open country w/ some trees, savanna, savanna woodland/forest, plantations, cultivations, woodland, forest/forest edge, recently burned land, forest edge-savanna mosaic, savanna-woodland-forest mosaic, scrub forest, wooded areas on edge of open/recently burned areas, burnt rainforest clearings, grasslands, marshes, areas w/ low sparse vegetation, bare ground areas, not found higher than 164.042 ft above sea level Location(s): Ranges from Senegal to extreme NE Democratic Republic of Congo & South Sudan Appearance: Mainly blue w/ dark bluish-greenish back, whitish/tan head/neck/breast, adults have tail streamers, juveniles drabbed than adults, crow-like beak/build Food/Diet: Grasshoppers, beetles, locusts, ants, termites, wasps, mantids, antlion larvae, millipedes, earthworms, lizards, smaller snakes, palm oil nuts, fruits (especially oil palm fruits) Status in Wild: Stable Conservation: Breeding in zoos & wildlife parks Lifestyle: Monogamous pairs or family flocks of monogamous pair w/ 1-3 sets of offspring (each set having 2-3 birds). All birds participate in territory defense. Additional Info: Called: Male: Cock Female: Hen Young: Chick Group: Flock Weight: 3.8-5.3 oz Gestation: 3 weeks Life Span: 5-10 years Height: 11-12 in Body Length: 11-12 in Tail Length: 2.36 in Main predators are carnivorous/omnivorous mammals, snakes, raptors, & crocodiles. Females usually lay 2-3 eggs a year. Sexually mature at 1 year though some stay w/ parents acting as helpers to younger chicks. They’re very agile flyers. Tend to be noisy birds, often using loud harsh cries in territory defense. Have 1.17-1.18 ft wingspan. Usually nest in hollow tree cavities. Fun Fact(s): Coracias means “raven-like” in Latin. Beneficial to people since they consume large amounts of insects that harm crops or even people (they’ve been known to eat wasps). Named for aerial acrobatic displays performed during courtship, territory defense, & catching prey. Often dive bomb prey from perch 30 ft in air. They often catch insects in mid-air. Often venture to boundaries of wildfires to catch fleeing insects.
