photo sharing and upload picture albums photo forums search pictures popular photos photography help login
Doug J | all galleries >> Birds, Birds, Birds >> Non-passeriformes Gallery > Broad-billed Roller
previous | next

Broad-billed Roller

Scientific name: Eurystomus glaucurus
Order: Coraciiformes
Family: Coraciidae

Click for map of bird's location
Press the back button on the browser to return to this page

The Broad-billed Roller, is a member of the roller family of birds which breeds across tropical Africa and Madagascar in all but the driest regions. It is a wet season breeder, which migrates from the northern and southern areas of its range towards the moister equatorial belt in the dry season.

This is a species of open woodland with some tall trees, preferably near water. These rollers often perch prominently on trees, posts or overhead wires, like giant shrikes. They are inactive for most of the day, apart from chasing intruders, but in late afternoon they hunt for the swarming ants and termites on which they feed, sometimes in groups of 100 or more rollers. They drink like swallows, dipping their bills into water in flight.

Canon EOS-1D Mark III ,Canon EF 300mm f/2.8L IS USM
1/180s f/5.6 at 420mm (EF 300mm + EF 1.4xTC) ISO 1600 full exif

other sizes: small medium original auto
comment