Indian Roller

Latin Name: 
Coracias benghalensis
Category: 
Size: 
31cm
Description: 

Sexes alike. Pale greenishbrown above; rufous-brown breast; deep blue tail has light blue subterminal band; in flight, bright Oxford-Blue wings and tail, with
Cambridge-Blue bands distinctive. Solitary or in pairs; perches on overhead wires, bare branches, earthen mounds and small bush tops; either glides and drops on prey or pounces suddenly; batters prey against perch before swallowing.

Habitat: 
open country, cultivation, orchards, light forests.
Food: 
mostly insects; catches small lizards, frogs, small rodents and snakes.
Distribution: 
almost entire subcontinent, south of outer Himalaya, where found up to about 1,500m.
Call: 
Call Description: 
usually silent; occasionally harsh khak…kak…kak… notes; exuberant screeching notes and shrieks during courtship display, diving, tumbling and screaming wildly.
National Status: