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Blue-bellied Roller
Coracias cyanogaster

IUCN Status: Least concern

 

Size: Length; 30cm. Weight: 142g.

Habitat and Distribution: Senegal and Sierra Leone to Central African Republic. Mature woodland and groves of palms near marshes and streams.

Groups and Breeding: Eggs are laid in a hole in a tree, usually around 10 metres from the ground. Lay 2 to 3 eggs which are incubated by both sexes and hatch after an incubation period of around 20 days.

Diet:Large invertebrates and small vertebrates.

  • One of the 12 species which make up the family Coraciidae (rollers and jays).
  • They are closely related to bee-eaters and kingfishers.
  • Their courtship involves fast chases in flight with the following partner breaking away and flying straight towards the ground rolling from side to side, which is how this family got their name.
  • Blue-bellied Rollers are known to flock to forest and savannah fires, where they wait out of reach of the fire and feed on insects fleeing the flames.

Notice from the Cotswold Wildlife Park

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