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14

Indian Roller (Coracias benghalensis) Size: 30-34 cm; wing span 65-74 cm Weight: 166-176 g

Oman: Family Group 14 Family Group 14 Table Common Swift Pallid Swift Collared Kingfisher Common Kingfisher Pied Kingfisher Green Bee-eater Little Bee-eater Blue-cheeked Bee-eater European Roller Indian Roller Thumbnails page Classification table Index of bird names Birds home page

Similar species

Description     Classification     Distribution     Sightings     Photos     Breeding     Nest     Eggs     Behaviour     Food     Call/s

Physical description Click here for a physical description European Rollers are small rollers. Around the eyes they have bare orange skin patches. Their frons, sides of the large head, neck and chest are all greyish-brown, with the upper chest showing the darkest hue of grey-brown. The feathers of the ear coverts, front and side of the neck are spiny. The crown is greyish-blue, with prominent blue sides, looking like very wide supercilia. The belly, vent and undertail coverts are pale-blue, while the nape of the neck and the rest of the back, including the rump, are all orange-brown to grey-brown. The front of the wings exhibits prominent blue shoulder patches, while the flight feathers are dark-grey. The underwings are pale-blue. Race "affinis" is much bluer than nominate race "benghalensis".

Taxonomy, classification See Indian Roller at Wikipedia .

Range, habitat Click here for information on habitat and range The overall distribution of this species can be assessed, and specific locations where birds have been spotted can be found, based on individual sighting reports submitted by birdwatchers to ebird.org . The global distribution of the Indian Roller is available HERE . There are three races of Indian Rollers, all of which are sedentary. Their overall range extends from Kuwait and southern Iraq, along the northern coastline of the Persian Gulf through southern Iran into Pakistan and the Indian subcontinent, including Sri Lanka. The distribution continues eastwards via Bangladesh into South-east Asia (Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, southern China and also Taiwan). There is also a steady population in northern Arabia. The species' overall distribution suggests that Indian Rollers do not like locations on West coasts exposed to Monsoon winds. They are NOT found anywhere along the western coastline of Pakistan and India, the West coast of Sri Lanka or the West coast of south-eastern Asia, from the marshlands of southern Bangladesh to southern Burma, nor on the South-west coast of Thailand and Cambodia to the southern tip of Vietnam (while in ALL those areas they are found just a few hundred km inland). Indian Rollers, nominate race "benghalensis", are permanent residents along the northern near-coastal fringe of Arabia, from about Abu Dhabi in the West to a few hundred km South of the eastern cape in Oman. We found Indian Rollers in a variety of habitats, from the buildings on the campus of a university, via a botanical garden with a pond, to acacia-dominated semi-arid areas and even wasteland. They were also spotted in relatively open farmland.

Sightings Click here for sighting information Race "benghalensis" We have spotted Indian Rollers, nominate race "benghalensis", regularly on the Campus of Sultan Qaboos University, near Muscat, through all seasons. They usually come as singles or in pairs.

Photos

Race "benghalensis"

ADULT

PAIR

Pair of Indian Rollers perched in a tree
[Campus of Sultan Qaboos University, near Muscat, September 2009]

Sex unknown

Frontal view of an Indian Roller perched in a palm tree
[Campus of Sultan Qaboos University, near Muscat, December 2009]

Frontal view of an Indian Roller looking sideways, with a clear view of the spiny feathers covering the ear coverts, neck and chin
[Batinah region, May 2012]

Frontal view of an Indian Roller looking sideways, now with its bill open
[Batinah region, May 2012]

Near-frontal view of an Indian Roller on the ground
[Campus of Sultan Qaboos University, near Muscat, September 2009]

Near-lateral view of an Indian Roller cooling on a humid day with temperatures in excess of 40 C
[Campus of Sultan Qaboos University, near Muscat, September 2009]

Lateral view of an Indian Roller
[Campus of Sultan Qaboos University, near Muscat, December 2009]

Breeding information

Breeding season: Mar - Jun

Eggs: 3 - 5

Incubation period: 17 - 19 days

Fledging age: 28 - 32 days

In southern India the breeding season can begin earlier than stated in the table above.

Nest building: Male & female

Incubation: Female & male

Dependent care: Female & male

Nest

Type: Hollow/cavity

Material: Tree trunk, crevice, pipe

Height above ground: ?

It is not 100% clear whether the nest shown below is in fact the Indian Roller's. We observed the bird sitting at the entrance and then that there is a nest inside, but it was not in use at the time.

Slightly blurred view of an Indian Roller sitting at the entrance of a roof water drain pipe
[Campus of Sultan Qaboos University, near Muscat, December 2009]

View into the drain pipe, showing a nest that may at one point have been a Common Myna nest; the pipe looks closed at the back, so it should remain dry
[Campus of Sultan Qaboos University, near Muscat, December 2009]

Eggs

Size: ?

Colour: White

Shape: Oval (near-spherical)

Behaviour

Indian Rollers are territorial birds; they are one of the species that do not hesitate to swoop humans to defend their territories and/or nests.

The fact that a House Crow bothers to hustle a smaller bird such as an Indian Roller (see photo below) indicates that Rollers are probably nest robbers.

House Crow seen literally swooping an Indian Roller off its perch
[Campus of Sultan Qaboos University, near Muscat, April 2010]

Indian Rollers usually sit on relatively low perches, often in trees, on major branches just off the trunk. They can also be found on road signs, lamp posts or similarly convenient perches.

Pair of Indian Rollers on a very typical perch
[Campus of Sultan Qaboos University, near Muscat, September 2009]

Near-lateral view of an Indian Roller - how's that for camouflage colours?!
[Campus of Sultan Qaboos University, near Muscat, September 2009]

Food, Diet

Like all other members of the roller family, Indian Rollers feed on large insects that they catch in flight or take from the ground and on small reptiles that they take from the ground.

Crafty Indian Roller coming out of a storm drain pipe where it had been observed on several previous occasions
[Campus of Sultan Qaboos University, near Muscat, December 2009]

Here one can see what the Indian Roller was after - a gecko
[Campus of Sultan Qaboos University, near Muscat, December 2009]

Near-lateral view of an Indian Roller drinking from a pond
[Campus of Sultan Qaboos University, near Muscat, September 2009]

Near-lateral view of an Indian Roller scooping up water in its bill
[Campus of Sultan Qaboos University, near Muscat, September 2009]

Here, again, an Indian Roller drinking from a pond, but now in late evening light - note the pronounced difference in colours compared to the photo above, which was taken in harsh, midday light on a very hot day
[Campus of Sultan Qaboos University, near Muscat, September 2009]

These pages are largely based on our own observations and those of our contributors. The structure of these bird pages is explained HERE. For more salient facts on any bird species please refer to a field guide.

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