Indochinese Roller vs Purple Roller

Indochinese Roller

Coracias affinis

Medium157 gUrban

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

Recorded by Sachin Ranade · Rani, India · CC BY 4.0

Photo: Rejoice Gassah · CC BY 4.0

Purple Roller

Coracias naevius

Medium168 gShrubland

The purple roller is the largest of the rollers, growing to a length of 35 to 40 cm (14 to 16 in). Adults weigh from 145 to 200 g (5.1 to 7.1 oz) with an average weight of 168 g (5.9 oz). From a distance it appears a dull brownish bird with a white stripe over the eye, a patch of white on the nape and a dark tail. Northern populations tend to have a rufus crown while southern populations have a more olive-green crown. The underparts are purplish-pink streaked with white. The wings are long and rounded while the tail is square-cut.

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Derek Keats from Johannesburg, South Africa · CC BY 2.0

Photos and recordings are credited to their authors under the licence shown. Full profiles: Indochinese Roller and Purple Roller.