European Roller
Coracias garrulus
The European roller is a stocky bird, the size of a Eurasian jay at 29–32 cm (11–13 in) in length with a 52–58 cm (20–23 in) wingspan. It is mainly blue with an orange-brown back. The subspecies C. g. semenowi is slightly paler then the nominate. The European roller is striking in its strong direct flight, with the brilliant blue contrasting with blue-black ends of the flight feathers. Sexes are similar, but the juvenile is a drabber version of the adult. The European roller is similar in appearance and behaviour to the Abyssinian roller.
ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0
Indochinese Roller
Coracias affinis
It is a stocky bird. The crown and vent are blue. The primaries are deep purplish blue with a band of pale blue. The tail is sky blue with a terminal band of Prussian blue and the central feathers are dull green. The neck and throat are purplish lilac with white shaft streaks. The bare patch around the eye is ochre in colour. The three forward toes are united at the base. Rollers have a long and compressed bill with a curved upper edge and a hooked tip. The nostril is long and exposed and there are long rictal bristles at the base of the bill.
ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0
Where you might meet both
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Play today's Daily BirdPhotos and recordings are credited to their authors under the licence shown. Full profiles: European Roller and Indochinese Roller.