FOR AGES 3 YEARS TO 18 YEARS
At Kidadl we pride ourselves on offering families original ideas to make the most of time spent together at home or out and about, wherever you are in the world. We strive to recommend the very best things that are suggested by our community and are things we would do ourselves - our aim is to be the trusted friend to parents.
We try our very best, but cannot guarantee perfection. We will always aim to give you accurate information at the date of publication - however, information does change, so it’s important you do your own research, double-check and make the decision that is right for your family.
Kidadl provides inspiration to entertain and educate your children. We recognise that not all activities and ideas are appropriate and suitable for all children and families or in all circumstances. Our recommended activities are based on age but these are a guide. We recommend that these ideas are used as inspiration, that ideas are undertaken with appropriate adult supervision, and that each adult uses their own discretion and knowledge of their children to consider the safety and suitability.
Kidadl cannot accept liability for the execution of these ideas, and parental supervision is advised at all times, as safety is paramount. Anyone using the information provided by Kidadl does so at their own risk and we can not accept liability if things go wrong.
Indian rollers are brightly colored birds with various shades of blue on their tail, wings, and belly, with a brown texture in their breast. It is a roller family bird which is scientifically known as Coracias benghalensis. The Dollar bird and European roller are the same species as the Indian roller. As the name suggests itself, they are mostly found in India. They are distributed across the continent of south and central west Asia, from the United Arab Emirates through the Indian sub-continent, including Sri Lanka, Lakshadweep islands. They prefer thin forests, grasslands, and cultivated areas.
The name of the roller is influenced by the aerobatic displays performed by the male roller during the breeding season. The roller family is also identified as a stocky bird, and locally known as Neelkanth in India. The roller bird generally weighs between 160-176 g with a length of between 9-10 in (25-27 cm). They nest in tree holes created by woodpeckers or wood insects. Indian rollers are commonly found perched on tree branches, and also on telegraphic wires and electric wires in urban areas. They are non-migratory birds. Read on for more fascinating facts about this bird.
To discover other bird species similar to Indian rollers, you may want to check out the lilac-breasted roller and Nicobar pigeon.
The Indian roller belongs to the family of birds.
The Indian roller, Coracias benghalensis, belongs to the Aves class of animals.
The total population of the bird is unknown. Given their low major threats, their population is ongoing and within or more than its required number.
Indian roller, Coracias benghalensis, generally live in rotten tree holes for their easy and safe nesting. They highly favor nesting on tree holes created by woodpeckers or wood insects.
The blue-colored Indian roller habitat mostly consists of a tropical climate, along with deciduous forests and grasslands. They are often found dwelling in wide-open cultivated areas too. Today, you may spot them perched in electric wires in urban settings. The Indian roller in particular is mostly found in Asia, whereas the European roller is mostly found in central Asia, Middle East, Morocco, including European regions.
As a solitary bird, this blue tail and brown breast bird, also commonly known as a stocky bird, prefer to stay by themselves. But during the breeding season, this bird usually stays in pairs to incubate the eggs, since both the male and female Indian roller equally takes responsibility. The young roller then leaves the nest within a month of its birth.
The Indian roller bird has a lifespan of up to 17 years.
The breeding season generally begins after spring and early summer, which is between March to June. The mating process of this blue roller is quite unknown. They are monogamous and have only one mating partner. During the breeding season, the males perform aerobatic displays, which is an act of courtship. The males make their display by bowing, wing drooping, allopreening, along with tail fanning. The female roller lays up to five eggs, which are white, nearly spherical, and broad oval in shape. Both the parents incubate the eggs for around 17-19 days until they hatch. The chicks then leave the nest within a month, after the eggs hatch.
The conservation status of the India roller is of Least Concern since their population is intact and have no major threats. However, Northern India has observed a decline in their population due to a high number of traffic collisions.
The Indian roller, a family of birds mostly found in Asia, is a colorful bird, best known for its aerobatic displays during the breeding season. You can easily identify the colorful blue roller with all the unique features that they acquire. The dominance of the brown color is what distinguishes the Indian roller from the European roller. The rollers have sky blue tails, olive green central distributions, and brown breast, which makes them fairly unique from other bird species. This unique color of theirs is widely visible when in flight. They are short and stumpy birds that perched on trees and wires while they prey on grounds. Their deep grayish-brown eyes compliment the beauty of the Indian roller.
Being a colorful bird is an attribute to their cuteness. No doubt these bird species are attractive to look at and fluffy to touch.
This bird species communicates with each other using crow-like harsh sounds. Apart from this, they make varieties of sound as their means of communication, including metallic 'boink' calls, which are mostly heard during the breeding sound.
The typical Indian roller in India has a length between 9-10 in (25-27 cm), with a wingspan of 26-29 in (65-74 cm). They are known to be 10 times bigger than a sparrow.
The flight speed of the bird is unknown. Being a non-migratory bird, they are bound to have a moderate flying speed. However, they have a long wingspan which also indicates that they are capable of flying at good speed especially when preying.
Indian rollers are a medium-sized bird species, that generally weigh between 160-176 g.
No separate name has been used to describe the males and females of the species.
As a family of birds, a baby Indian roller is commonly known as a chick.
Being a carnivorous bird, the Indian roller diet generally includes small snakes, insects, frogs, scorpions, and other amphibians. They hunt for their food while perching on trees and wires.
These birds are often seen perched in 3-9 m high tree branches or wires. This indicates that they aren't capable of flying high above 12-15 m being a medium-sized bird.
Yes, this bird species would definitely make a good pet. On the other hand, their preference for open areas, thin forests, and grasslands with tree holes as their nesting shows that having them caged would not be a great idea.
The Indian roller bird follows tractors to feed on disturbed invertebrates and they are highly attracted to fire and swarms of termites.
This bird is also known as the blue jay bird.
In summer, they are bound to feed late in the evening, while making use of artificial lights and feed on insects that are attracted to them.
The rollers bathe by plunge-diving into open water.
Some dance forms in India or Asia as a whole have been derived from the aerobatic displays of male rollers.
In India, adding chopped feathers of the bird to grass while feeding them to cows was believed to increase the milk yield of the cow.
The Indian roller, locally known as Neelkanth in India, is associated with the Hindu Lord Shiva, where the bird stopped at his neck when he drank poison and resulted in a blue neck.
The Indian roller has been named as the state bird of several states in India, including Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Odisha, and Karnataka.
Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly animal facts for everyone to discover! Learn more about some other birds including hermit thrush, or blue grosbeak.
You can even occupy yourself at home by drawing one on our Indian roller coloring pages.
Read The Disclaimer
At Kidadl we pride ourselves on offering families original ideas to make the most of time spent together at home or out and about, wherever you are in the world. We strive to recommend the very best things that are suggested by our community and are things we would do ourselves - our aim is to be the trusted friend to parents.
We try our very best, but cannot guarantee perfection. We will always aim to give you accurate information at the date of publication - however, information does change, so it’s important you do your own research, double-check and make the decision that is right for your family.
Kidadl provides inspiration to entertain and educate your children. We recognise that not all activities and ideas are appropriate and suitable for all children and families or in all circumstances. Our recommended activities are based on age but these are a guide. We recommend that these ideas are used as inspiration, that ideas are undertaken with appropriate adult supervision, and that each adult uses their own discretion and knowledge of their children to consider the safety and suitability.
Kidadl cannot accept liability for the execution of these ideas, and parental supervision is advised at all times, as safety is paramount. Anyone using the information provided by Kidadl does so at their own risk and we can not accept liability if things go wrong.
Kidadl is independent and to make our service free to you the reader we are supported by advertising.
We hope you love our recommendations for products and services! What we suggest is selected independently by the Kidadl team. If you purchase using the buy now button we may earn a small commission. This does not influence our choices. Please note: prices are correct and items are available at the time the article was published.
Kidadl has a number of affiliate partners that we work with including Amazon. Please note that Kidadl is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.
We also link to other websites, but are not responsible for their content.
Was this article helpful?
We’ll send you tons of inspiration to help you find a hidden gem in your local area or plan a big day out.
Check your inbox for your latest news from us. You have subscribed to:
Remember that you can always manage your preferences or unsubscribe through the link at the foot of each newsletter.