# Blue-bellied Roller (*Coracias cyanogaster*) The Blue-bellied Roller is a colorful bird with bright blue and green feathers. It loves to fly high in the sky and can often be seen gliding gracefully over trees and fields. - **Category:** [Birds](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/bird) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Habitat:** Savannas ![Blue-bellied Roller](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Blue-bellied_Roller%252C_Lemon_Creek%252C_Gambia_%2822221038590%29.jpg&width=800) Photo: gisela gerson lohman-braun, CC BY-SA 2.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Blue-bellied_Roller%252C_Lemon_Creek%252C_Gambia_%2822221038590%29.jpg) ## Appearance The Blue-bellied Roller has a striking brown head and back contrasting with a vivid, sky-blue belly, throat, and rump. Its flight feathers are deep purplish-blue with a black trailing edge, making it truly stand out. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Animalia - **Phylum:** Chordata - **Class:** Aves - **Order:** Coraciiformes - **Family:** Coraciidae - **Genus:** Coracias ## Interesting facts - Both parent rollers share incubating eggs and feeding their hungry chicks. - Their name "Roller" comes from their spectacular tumbling courtship flights! - They can even catch and eat venomous scorpions, carefully removing the sting first! - They often nest inside abandoned tree hollows or old woodpecker nests. ## Special abilities - **Acrobatic Hunter:** Blue-bellied Rollers can perform incredible aerial dives to catch insects because they have strong, agile wings. - **Vivid Warning:** Blue-bellied Rollers flash bright blue wing patches during flight that helps them warn off rivals or attract mates. - **Perch Predator:** Blue-bellied Rollers have excellent eyesight that helps them spot tiny insects from high branches. ## Measurements & details - **Length:** 28-30 cm - **Wingspan:** 55-65 cm - **Weight:** 0.1-0.15 kg - **Lifespan:** 8-10 years - **Speed:** 50 km/h - **Clutch Size:** 2-4 - **Incubation:** 18-20 days - **Migration Distance:** 0 km ## Diet & Feeding An insect-eating bird that hunts bugs from high perches in open woodlands. - **Primary Foods:** Grasshoppers, Beetles, Crickets, Mantises, Scorpions, Small lizards - **Foraging Method:** Ambush ## Ecological connections - **Hunts:** [Migratory Locust](https://www.snappit.app/explore/migratory-locust) (*Locusta migratoria*) — eats these common insects from the air or ground. - **Shelter:** Western Green-backed Woodpecker (*Campethera permista*) — uses its abandoned tree cavities for nesting. - **Eaten by:** Jackal Buzzard (*Buteo rufofuscus*) — a common bird of prey and potential predator. ## Traits - [Feathered](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/feathered): Feathered describes animals, primarily birds, possessing a covering of feathers. - [Aerial](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/aerial): Aerial creatures spend a significant portion of their lives airborne, utilizing flight for various activities such as hunting, migration, or nesting. - [Colorful](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/colorful): Colorful describes organisms or objects displaying a wide range of bright and distinct colors. - [Gliding](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/gliding): Gliding animals move through the air by launching themselves and maintaining flight with specialized body structures, without flapping wings. - [Insectivorous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/insectivorous): This trait identifies organisms whose diet primarily consists of insects and other small invertebrates. - [Savanna](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/savanna): This habitat trait denotes species native to savannas, which are grasslands with scattered trees, typically found in tropical or subtropical regions with distinct wet and dry seasons. - [Diurnal](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/diurnal): Diurnal animals are primarily active during daylight hours, typically resting or sleeping at night. - [Speedster](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/speedster): This trait identifies organisms that exhibit exceptional swiftness in movement for hunting, escape, or travel. ## Collections - [Birds](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/birds) ## Safety **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low Always watch birds from a distance and do not try to touch them. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify Blue-bellied Roller? Compare the silhouette, bill shape, tail length, wing bars and markings around the eyes. The same small brown bird at your feeder can look quite different in breeding plumage, winter plumage or its first year. Bird Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### How long is Blue-bellied Roller? 28-30 cm ### What is Blue-bellied Roller's wingspan? 55-65 cm ### How much does Blue-bellied Roller weigh? 0.1-0.15 kg ### How long does Blue-bellied Roller live? 8-10 years ### How fast can Blue-bellied Roller move? 50 km/h ### What does Blue-bellied Roller eat? An insect-eating bird that hunts bugs from high perches in open woodlands. ### Where is Blue-bellied Roller usually found? Savannas ## More Birds - [Black-crowned Night Heron](https://www.snappit.app/explore/black-crowned-night-heron) (*Nycticorax nycticorax*) - [Anna's Hummingbird](https://www.snappit.app/explore/annas-hummingbird) (*Calypte anna*) - [Great Egret](https://www.snappit.app/explore/great-egret) (*Ardea alba*) - [Blue Jay](https://www.snappit.app/explore/blue-jay) (*Cyanocitta cristata*) --- Source: [Blue-bellied Roller: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/blue-bellied-roller)