An Indian Roller, Coracias benghalensi, perched on a dead branch in Pench National Park, Maharashtra, India.
These beautiful, birds were often perched at the side of roads and tracks throughout my trip in central India. They perch on branches or wires watching out for prey beneath them. They swoop down and kill insects, mainly beetles, crickets and grasshoppers, on the ground. They also feed on winged termites, in season.
The colourful family has the vernacular name ‘Roller’ in honour of the acrobatic breeding display of the males, but I’ve yet to see the display, having been eithe too late or too early for the peak breeding season, March – June.
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