Lit up in the early morning sun, the colours on this spectacular bird look fantastic. Endemic to Africa, the Lilac-breasted Roller (Coracias caudatus) can be found across the Eastern and Southern sub-Saharan parts of the continent, including Tanzania, where this shot came from and they are also the national bird of Kenya. There are many sub-species of ‘rollers’ and this family of birds received their moniker having been observed performing aerobatic stunts whilst on the wing, including rolling from side to side during courtship displays. Sometimes nicknamed the ‘Rainbow Roller’ – it is claimed there are eight different colours prevalent on this bird, but I’m sure I can count more!
