Abyssinian Roller
Coracias abyssinicus
The Abyssinian Roller (Coracias abyssinicus) is a rare roller found in 27 countries, weighing about 102 g. The Abyssinian roller, or Senegal roller, is a member of the roller family of birds which breeds across tropical Africa in a belt south of the Sahara, known as the Sahel.
About the Abyssinian Roller
The Abyssinian roller, or Senegal roller, is a member of the roller family of birds which breeds across tropical Africa in a belt south of the Sahara, known as the Sahel. It is resident in the southern part of its range, but northern breeding populations are short-distance migrants, moving further south after the wet season.
Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
How to identify it
The Abyssinian roller is a large bird, nearly the size of a jackdaw at 28–30 cm (11–12 in). It has a warm brown back, with the rest of the plumage mainly blue. Adults have 12 cm (4.7 in) long tail streamers. Sexes are similar, but the juvenile is a drabber version of the adult. Abyssinian roller is striking in its strong direct flight, with the brilliant blues of the wings contrasting with the brown back and the long tail streamers trailing behind. The call of the Abyssinian roller is a harsh crow-like gak sound, or a screeched aaaargh.
Where it lives
Recorded as a rare visitor in Spain.
When to see it
Best months: January, February, March, April, May, June, October, November, December, with peak activity in December. It is a winter visitor species across most of its range.
Easily confused with
Quick questions
- How do you identify an Abyssinian Roller?
- The Abyssinian roller is a large bird, nearly the size of a jackdaw at 28–30 cm (11–12 in). Full identification notes are on this page.
- How big is an Abyssinian Roller?
- The Abyssinian Roller is a medium sized bird weighing about 102 g.
- Where can you see an Abyssinian Roller?
- The Abyssinian Roller occurs in 27 countries, including Nigeria, the Gambia, Senegal, Ethiopia and Ghana.
- What birds look similar to an Abyssinian Roller?
- The Abyssinian Roller is most easily confused with the Blue-bellied Roller, the Purple Roller and the Racket-tailed Roller.
- Is the Abyssinian Roller endangered?
- The Abyssinian Roller is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.
Learn the Abyssinian Roller for real
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