Lilac-breasted Roller Species Profile: East Africa's Most Colourful Perch Bird

Rollers are some of the most colourful birds on the continent, and the lilac-breasted is the one most visitors photograph. It is conspicuous, confiding and often perched beside the road, so it is easy to appreciate even for beginners.

This profile covers identification, behaviour, diet, nesting and the best places to find it.

This guide is part of our animals of Uganda and East Africa guide. When you are ready to plan, see our Uganda safari packages or the Ameera Africa Safaris Uganda tours homepage.

Identification

The lilac-breasted roller is a thrush-sized bird, with a lilac throat and breast, a green head, a rusty-brown back and bright blue wings and belly. In flight the wings flash turquoise and deep blue. Birds in the northern part of the range have long, streaming outer tail feathers, while southern birds have shorter, pointed tails. Males and females look similar. The bird is often seen sitting upright on a dead branch, fence post or telephone wire, scanning the ground.

Habitat and Range

The species occupies open woodland, savanna and bush with scattered trees, avoiding dense forest and treeless plains. It is common in Kenya and Tanzania, with a range stretching through southern Africa. It is more localised in Uganda, where other rollers, such as the Abyssinian roller in the north, are more likely sightings. Its dependence on perches means it does well in park habitats and sometimes around lodges and farmland.

Display and Behaviour

The name roller comes from the courtship display, in which the male climbs steeply and then tumbles and rolls through the air while calling harshly. The performance is acrobatic and noisy. Rollers defend territories and chase intruders, including much larger birds. Outside the display, they are quiet hunters that hold still for long periods, watching and waiting.

Diet and Hunting

Lilac-breasted rollers hunt from a perch and drop to the ground to seize prey. The diet includes beetles, grasshoppers, locusts, scorpions, lizards and small rodents. Prey is often beaten against the perch before being swallowed. Burnt grassland attracts rollers because fires flush insects, so you may see several birds working the edge of a bushfire or controlled burn.

Nesting and Conservation

Pairs nest in tree cavities, old woodpecker holes or termite mounds, laying a small clutch and sharing incubation. The species is common and not considered threatened, but its feathers are widely used in craft in some places and local populations can suffer from pesticide use and habitat loss. A healthy savanna with standing dead trees gives rollers the perches and nest sites they need.

Where to See It

In Kenya, the Masai Mara, Amboseli and Tsavo are all reliable. In Tanzania, look in the Serengeti and Tarangire. Ask your guide to stop whenever a bird is perched near the road. In Uganda, the open woodland of Kidepo and parts of Murchison Falls offer the best roller viewing, though species vary.

Photography and Related Species

Approach slowly and keep the vehicle engine off while photographing. Rollers often take off just before a vehicle gets close, so shoot early. To capture the flash of blue, try photographing as the bird launches from its perch with a fast shutter. See safari photography tips. Related perch hunters include bee-eaters and kingfishers.

Planning a Uganda safari? Send us your dates and we will build the route, permits and transport around what you want to see.

Related Tours, Guides and Resources

• Ameera Africa Safaris homepage: Uganda safaris, tours and holidays
• Uganda safari packages
• Uganda travel guide
• How to book a Uganda safari
• Plan your safari with our team