Lilac-breasted Roller

Coracias caudatus

Dazzling even among Africa's colorful birds, the Lilac-breasted Roller wears a palette of lilac, turquoise, blue, green, and rusty brown across its plumage. Found in open savanna and woodland across sub-Saharan Africa, it hunts insects and small vertebrates from exposed perches. During courtship, it performs spectacular rolling dives — the acrobatics that give rollers their name.