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The Rollers are an Old World family of near
passerine birds. They resemble crows in size and
build, but are more closely related to the kingfishers and bee-eaters. They share the colourful appearance of those groups, blues and browns
predominating. The two inner front toes are connected, but not the outer one.
These are insect eaters, usually catching their prey in the air. They often perch prominently whilst hunting, like giant
shrikes. The group gets its name from the aerial acrobatics some of these birds
perform.
These are birds of warm climates. They nest in an unlined tree-hole, and lay 2-4 eggs.
The eleven species are
Genus Coracias
- European Roller Coracias garrulus
- Abyssinian Roller Coracias abyssinica
- Lilac-breasted
Roller Coracias caudata
- Racquet-tailed
Roller Coracias spatulata
- Rufous-crowned
Roller Coracias noevia
- Indian Roller Coracias benghalensis
- Temminck's Roller
Coracias temminckii
- Blue-bellied Roller Coracias cyanogaster
Genus Eurystomus
- Broad-billed Roller Eurystomus glaucurus
- Blue-throated
Roller Eurystomus gularis
- Azure Roller Eurystomus
azureus
- Dollarbird Eurystomus
orientalis
Reference
- Kingfishers, Bee-eaters and Rollers by Fry, Fry and Harris, ISBN 0-7136-8028-8
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