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{{Short description|Species of bird}} {{Use dmy dates|date=November 2019}} {{for|the hate crime|Indian rolling}} {{Speciesbox | name = Indian roller | image = Indian roller - Timbi Lake, Vadodara 2023-12-03.jpg | image_caption = Indian roller, Gujarat | status = LC | status_system = IUCN3.1 | status_ref = <ref name=iucn>{{cite iucn |title=''Coracias benghalensis'' |author=BirdLife International |date=2016 |page=e.T22725914A94905872 |doi=10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T22725914A94905872.en |access-date=20 November 2021}}</ref> | genus = Coracias | species = benghalensis | authority = ([[Carl Linnaeus|Linnaeus]], [[10th edition of Systema Naturae|1758]]) | synonyms = ''Corvus benghalensis'' {{small|Linnaeus, 1758}} | range_map = Coracias_benghalensis_distr.png | range_map_alt = Map of southwestern and southern Asia, with shading indicating the species occurs in the Indian subcontinent and along the coasts of the Persian Gulf and the northern Arabian Sea | range_map_caption = {{Legend|#E2725B|outline=gray|breeding range}} {{Legend striped|#E2725B|#fff1de|outline=gray|up=yes|non-breeding range}} }} The '''Indian roller''' ('''''Coracias benghalensis''''') is a bird of the family [[Coraciidae]]. It is {{cvt|30|β|34|cm}} long with a wingspan of {{cvt|65|β|74|cm}} and weighs {{cvt|166|β|176|g}}. The face and throat are pinkish, the head and back are brown, with blue on the rump and contrasting light and dark blue on the wings and tail. The bright blue markings on the wing are prominent in flight. The sexes are similar in appearance. Two [[subspecies]] are recognised. The Indian roller occurs widely from [[West Asia]] to the [[Indian subcontinent]]. Often found perched on roadside trees and wires, it is common in open grassland and scrub forest habitats, and has adapted well to human-modified landscapes. It mainly feeds on insects, especially [[beetle]]s. The species is best known for the aerobatic displays of males during the breeding season. Adult males and females form [[pair bond]]s and raise the young together. The female lays 3β5 eggs in a cavity or crevice, which is lined with a thin mat of straw or feathers. The roller is the [[List of Indian state birds|state bird]] of three [[Indian states]]. It is listed as a species of [[least concern]] on the [[IUCN Red List]]. ==Taxonomy== The Indian roller was one of the many [[Aves in the 10th edition of Systema Naturae|bird species originally described]] by [[Carl Linnaeus]] in the 1758 [[10th edition of Systema Naturae|10th edition of ''Systema Naturae'']], where he coined the [[binomial name]] ''Corvus benghalensis''.<ref>{{cite book |last=Linnaeus |first=C. |author-link=Carl Linnaeus |year=1758 |title=Systema Naturae per regna tria naturae, secundum classes, ordines, genera, species, cum characteribus, differentiis, synonymis, locis |volume=1 |edition=10th |publisher=Laurentii Salvii |place=Holmiae (Stockholm) |language=Latin |page=106 |chapter=''Corvus benghalensis'' |chapter-url=https://archive.org/details/mobot31753000798865/page/106/mode/1up}}</ref> Linnaeus based his description on the "Jay from Bengal" described and illustrated in 1731 by the English naturalist [[Eleazar Albin]], derived from a drawing by illustrator [[Joseph Dandridge]].<ref>{{cite book |name-list-style=amp |last1=Albin |first1=E. |author1-link=Eleazar Albin |last2=Derham |first2=W. |author2-link=William Derham |year=1731 |title=A Natural History of Birds : Illustrated with a Hundred and One Copper Plates, Curiously Engraven from the Life |volume=1 |page=17, Plate 17 |place=London |publisher=Printed for the author and sold by William Innys |url=https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/41130229 |access-date=5 April 2021 |archive-date=2 September 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210902063910/https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/41130229 |url-status=live }}</ref> In 1766, Linnaeus described an Indian roller under the name ''Coracias indica'',<ref>{{cite book |last=Linnaeus |first=C. |year=1766 |title=Systema naturae : per regna tria natura, secundum classes, ordines, genera, species, cum characteribus, differentiis, synonymis, locis |edition=12th |volume=1 |publisher=Laurentii Salvii |place=Holmiae (Stockholm) |language=Latin |chapter=''Coracias indica'' |page=159 |chapter-url=https://archive.org/details/carolialinnequit11linn/page/n162/mode/1up}}</ref> based on a description by [[George Edwards (naturalist)|George Edwards]] in 1764 of a specimen collected in Sri Lanka.<ref name=Edwards1764>{{ cite book |last=Edwards |first=G. |year=1764 |title=Gleanings of Natural History |volume=III |place=London |publisher=Printed for author at the Royal College of Physicians |pages=247β248 |chapter=The Blue Jay from the East Indies |chapter-url=https://archive.org/details/gleaningsofnatu371764edwa/page/n79/mode/2up}}</ref> The latter name was used for many years; Indian ornithologist [[Biswamoy Biswas]] suspected it was because Linnaeus' 12th edition of ''Systema Naturae'' was preferred as the starting point for formal descriptions. German ornithologist [[Ernst Hartert]] determined there were distinct northern and southern subspecies and allocated ''benghalensis'' to the former and ''indicus'' to the latter. However, Biswas noted that the [[Type locality (biology)|type locality]] (where the specimen was originally found) for ''benghalensis'' was [[Madras Presidency]], which lies within the range of the southern subspecies, and proposed a neotype be selected from [[Bengal]], where Linnaeus had assumed the taxon had come from.<ref>{{cite journal|author=Biswas, B. |author-link=Biswamoy Biswas |year=1961|title=Proposal to designate a neotype for ''Corvus benghalensis'' Linnaeus, 1758 (Aves), under the plenary powers Z.N. (S) 1465 |journal=Bulletin of Zoological Nomenclature |volume=18 |issue=3 |pages=217β219 |url=https://archive.org/stream/bulletinofzoolog18inte#page/217/mode/1up |ref=none}}</ref> This was accepted by the [[International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature]] in 1962.<ref>{{cite journal |author=China, W. E. |title=Opinion 663: ''Corvus benghalensis'' Linnaeus, 1758 (Aves): Designation of a neotype under the plenary powers |journal=Bulletin of Zoological Nomenclature |date=1963 |volume=20 |issue=3 |pages=195β196 |url=https://archive.org/details/bulletinofzoolog20inte/page/195/mode/1up}}</ref> Two subspecies are recognized:<ref name=ioc>{{cite web |editor1-last=Gill |editor1-first=Frank |editor1-link=Frank Gill (ornithologist) |editor2-last=Donsker |editor2-first=David |editor3-last=Rasmussen |editor3-first=Pamela |editor3-link=Pamela Rasmussen |date=January 2021 |title=Rollers, ground rollers, kingfishers |work=IOC World Bird List Version 11.1 |url=https://www.worldbirdnames.org/bow/rollers/ |publisher=International Ornithologists' Union |access-date=5 April 2021 |archive-date=4 October 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181004213031/http://www.worldbirdnames.org/bow/rollers/ |url-status=live }}</ref> * ''C. b. benghalensis'' {{small|(Linnaeus, 1758)}} occurs from [[western Asia]] to India north of the [[Vindhya Range]].<ref name=pcr/> * ''C. b. indicus'' {{small|Linnaeus, 1766}} occurs in central and southern India and in Sri Lanka.<ref name=pcr/> It is distinguished by its slightly shorter wing and tail, darker blue crown and upper wing coverts, more brownish mantle and shoulder, and more pronounced red-brown collar on hindneck.<ref name=Cramp1985/> The [[Indochinese roller]] (''C. affinis'') was often treated as a [[subspecies]] due to some [[Hybrid (biology)|hybridisation]] between the two taxa over an area from central Nepal to western [[Assam]].<ref name=pcr/> However, a 2018 molecular study of [[Nuclear DNA|nuclear]] and [[mitochondrial DNA]] showed that the latter taxon was actually most closely related to the [[purple-winged roller]] (''C. temminckii'') while the Indian roller was their next closest relative, diverging from a lineage that gave rise to those two species.<ref name=johansson18>{{cite journal |last1=Johansson |first1=U. S. |last2=Irestedt |first2=M. |last3=Qu |first3=Y. |last4=Ericson |first4=P. G. P. |date=2018 |title=Phylogenetic relationships of rollers (Coraciidae) based on complete mitochondrial genomes and fifteen nuclear genes |journal=Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution |volume=126 |pages=17β22 |doi=10.1016/j.ympev.2018.03.030 |pmid=29631051 |s2cid=5011292}}</ref> [[File:Coracias affinis - Kaeng Krachan.jpg|thumb|right|upright|The closely related [[Indochinese roller]] (''C. affinis'') was considered a subspecies of the Indian roller.]] {{Phylogeny/Coracias}} The [[International Ornithologists' Union]] has designated "Indian roller" the official common name for the species.<ref name=ioc/> In British India, it was also colloquially termed 'blue jay'.<ref name=thurston12/> The Indian roller is called 'Little King' by villagers in [[Khuzestan Province]] in Iran.<ref name=":1" /> ==Description== [[File:Pala Pitta.jpg|thumb|Indian roller in flight showing the intense purple-blue and pale blue bands on wings and tail.]] The Indian roller is a bulky and broad-winged bird with a large head and short neck and legs.<ref name=Cramp1985/><ref name=Fry1992>{{cite book|last1=Fry |first1=C. H. |name-list-style=amp |last2=Fry |first2=K. |last3=Harris |first3=A. |year=1992 |title=Kingfishers, Bee-eaters and Rollers: A Handbook |publisher=Bloomsbury |series=Helm Field Guides |place=London, New York, New Delhi, Sydney |pages=289β291 |isbn=978-0-7136-8028-7}}</ref> It has a body length of {{cvt|30-34|cm|abbr=on}} with a wingspan of {{cvt|65-74|cm}} and weighs {{cvt|166-176|g}}.<ref name=Cramp1985>{{ cite book |editor1-last=Cramp | editor1-first=S. |editor1-link=Stanley Cramp | year=1985 | chapter=''Coracias benghalensis'' Indian roller |title=Handbook of the Birds of Europe the Middle East and North Africa. The Birds of the Western Palearctic |volume=IV: Terns to Woodpeckers | place=Oxford | publisher=Oxford University Press | pages=778β783 | isbn=978-0-19-857507-8}}</ref><ref name=handbook>{{cite book|editor-last1=del Hoyo|editor-first1=J. |editor-last2=Elliott |editor-first2=A. |editor-last3=Sargatal|editor-first3=J. |year=2001|title=Handbook of the Birds of the World, Volume 6: Mousebirds to Hornbills |page=371|publisher=Buteo Books |isbn=978-84-87334-30-6}}</ref> The bare skin around the eyes is dull orange, the legs and feet are yellow-brown. The bill is tinged with brown at the base. The [[Iris (anatomy)|iris]] is grey-brown.<ref name=Cramp1985/> ===Plumage=== The [[plumage]] on the forehead, chin and [[Lore (anatomy)|lores]] are pinkish buff, the [[Covert_feather#Ear_coverts|ear coverts]] are darker red-brown with pale cream or pinkish streaks, while the throat is a dull wine-red with narrow cream streaks. The crown and nape are a darker dull turquoise. The back and rump are a bright turquoise, and the belly is pale blue. The [[Covert_feather#Tail_coverts|tail coverts]] are dark purple-blue with turquoise tips. The middle two tail feathers are greyish blue-olive with black shafts, while the surrounding tail feathers are an intense purple-blue with a broad pale blue band and greenish tinge towards the tips. The [[flight feather]]s on the wings have the same purple-blue colour of those on the tail, with a similar pale blue band across the most distal five or six primaries. The underwing coverts and {{birdgloss|axillary feathers}} are pale blue, while the [[Covert_feather#Wing_coverts|upperwing coverts]] are a dull green-blue. The primary coverts are pale blue with olive or purple-blue tips, and the lesser coverts are purple-blue along the leading edge of the wing.<ref name=Cramp1985/><ref name=Fry1992/><ref name=handbook/> The colours look dull when the bird is perched but become vibrant in flight.<ref name=Fry1992/> [[Moulting]] commences anywhere from mid-June to mid-August and concludes between November and the beginning of March.<ref name=Cramp1985/> [[File:IndianRoller.jpg|thumb|Scan of Indian roller feathers: a primary, two outer secondaries and two tail feathers]] The blue colours of the flight feathers are [[Structural coloration|structural]] and are formed by microstructures in the [[Barb (feather)|barb]]s that produce blue through [[scattering]], which [[C. V. Raman|C.V. Raman]] noted in the 1930s as being more complex than can be explained by the [[Tyndall effect]].<ref>{{cite journal |author=Raman, C. V. |author-link=C. V. Raman |year=1934 |title=The origin of the colours in the plumage of birds |journal=Proceedings of the Indian Academy of Sciences, Section A |volume=1 |pages=1β7 |doi=10.1007/BF03035682 |s2cid=82356751 |url=http://repository.ias.ac.in/50701/1/50701.pdf |access-date=5 May 2021 |archive-date=5 May 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210505133005/http://repository.ias.ac.in/50701/1/50701.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref> Studies in 2010 found the feather barbs structured like a channel with [[Ξ²-keratin]] rods {{cvt|100|nm}} in diameter with airspaces between them.<ref>{{cite journal |author1=Noh, H. |author2=Liew, S. F.|author3=Saranathan, V. |name-list-style=amp |author4=Prum, R. O. |author5=Mochrie, S. G.|author6=Dufresne, E. R.|author7=Cao, H. |year=2010 |title=Double scattering of light from biophotonic nanostructures with short-range order |journal=Optics Express |volume=18|issue=11|pages=11942β11948 |doi=10.1364/OE.18.011942 |pmid=20589056|doi-access=free|arxiv=0912.3316 |bibcode=2010OExpr..1811942N }}</ref> Adult males and females are similar in appearance and there are no seasonal changes.<ref name=Cramp1985/> Juvenile birds are duller, paler and browner in colour,<ref name=pcr>{{ cite book |last1=Rasmussen |first1=P. C. |author1-link=Pamela C. Rasmussen | last2=Anderton |first2=J. C. |name-list-style=amp |year=2012 | title=Birds of South Asia. The Ripley Guide |volume=2: Attributes and Status |edition=Second |publisher=Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History and Lynx Edicions |place=Washington D.C. and Barcelona |isbn=978-84-96553-87-3 |page=270}}</ref> with a dull green crown and dull green-blue belly tinged with buff. The bill is brown with a yellowish base rather than black.<ref name=Cramp1985/> ===Voice=== The Indian roller has a [[monosyllable|monosyllabic]] contact call which varies from a short ''chack'' to a longer, harsher ''tschow''. ''Kaarsch'' calls are made during rolling displays, and increase in frequency and volume as the bird flies towards an intruder. When perched side by side, rollers make [[staccato]] chattering. In the nest, young produce a loud, "distressing" sound when calling for food, while young [[fledge|fledgling]]s make a loud "screaming gobble" after eating. Newly independent rollers make cat-like mews while foraging.<ref name=Fry1992/> ===Differences from other species=== At a distance the species can be mistaken for the European roller,<ref name=Cramp1985/> which is a migrant through parts of the Indian roller's range. The European roller has a longer neck and tail in flight, as well as black [[Flight feather#Primaries|primaries]] and an all-blue head.<ref name=Fry1992/> The Indochinese roller is darker, larger and has a purplish brown and unstreaked face and breast,<ref name=pcr/> and blue-green forehead.<ref name=Fry1992/> The underwing coverts are a deeper shade of blue.<ref name=hbk>{{cite book |author1=Ali, S. |author1-link=Salim Ali |author2=Ripley, S. D. |name-list-style=amp |title=Handbook of the Birds of India and Pakistan |edition=Second |publisher=Oxford University Press |volume=4 |year=1983 |chapter= |pages=116β120}}</ref> Its call is higher-pitched and has a more nasal sound.<ref name=pcr/> == Distribution and habitat == The Indian roller is distributed from [[Iraq]] and [[United Arab Emirates]] through the [[Indian subcontinent]], including Sri Lanka.<ref name=iucn /> In Pakistan, it is resident in the wetlands around [[Chotiari Dam]] in [[Sindh]], in [[Jiwani Coastal Wetland]] in [[Balochistan]], and in [[Punjab]] along the [[Taunsa Barrage]] and [[Chenab River]].<ref>{{cite journal |author1=Rais, M. |name-list-style=amp |author2=Khan, M. Z. |author3=Abbass, D. |author4=Akber, G. |author5=Nawaz, R. |year=2011 |title=A qualitative study on wildlife of Chotiari Reservoir, Sanghar, Sindh, Pakistan |journal=Pakistan Journal of Zoology |volume=43 |issue=2 |pages=237β247 |url=http://zsp.com.pk/237-247%20(4)%20PJZ-243-10.pdf |access-date=1 May 2021 |archive-date=13 October 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171013182330/http://zsp.com.pk/237-247%20(4)%20PJZ-243-10.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |author1=Ali, Z. |name-list-style=amp |author2=Bibi, F. |author3=Shelly, S. Y. |author4=Qazi, A. |author5=Khan, A. M. |year=2011 |title=Comparative avian faunal diversity of Jiwani Coastal Wetlands and Taunsa Barrage Wildlife Sanctuary, Pakistan |journal=Journal of Animal and Plant Sciences |volume=21 |issue=2 |pages=381β387 |url=http://www.thejaps.org.pk/docs/21-2-suppl/JAPS-11[Final].pdf}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |author1=Altaf, M. |name-list-style=amp |author2=Javid, A. |author3=Khan, A. M. |author4=Khan, M. S. H. |author5=Umair, M. |author6=Ali, Z. |year=2018 |title=Anthropogenic impact on the distribution of the birds in the tropical thorn forest, Punjab, Pakistan |journal=Journal of Asia-Pacific Biodiversity |volume=11 |issue=2 |pages=229β236 |doi=10.1016/j.japb.2018.03.001 |doi-access=free}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |author1=Bhatti, Z. |name-list-style=amp |author2=Ghufran, A. |author3=Nazir, F. |year=2020 |title=Seasonal population fluctuations in some non-passeriformes at Marala Head, Pakistan |journal=Journal of Bioresource Management |volume=7 |issue=1 |pages=53β56 |doi=10.35691/JBM.0202.0120 |doi-access=free}}</ref> It has been recorded as a summer visitor to [[Jalalabad]] in northeastern Afghanistan.<ref name="pcr" /> It has been recorded as a vagrant in Syria,Saudi Arabia, [[Masirah Island]],<ref name="Fry1992" /> Qatar, Yemen, [[Socotra]],<ref name="Middle East">{{cite book |last1=Porter |first1=R. |name-list-style=amp |last2=Aspinall|first2=S. |title=Birds of the Middle East |series=Helm Field Guides |date=2019 |publisher=Bloomsbury Publishing |chapter=Indian roller ''Coracias benghalensis'' |page=204 |location=London |isbn=978-1-4729-7582-9 |edition=Second}}</ref> [[Bahrain]], where it was sighted in 1996 and in 2008,<ref>{{cite journal |author1=Balmer, D. |author2=Murdoch, D. |name-list-style=amp |year=2009 |title=Around the region |journal=Sandgrouse |issue=1 |pages=91β103 |url=https://www.osme.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/23_Sandgrouse_31_Pages_91-103_ATR.pdf |access-date=9 April 2021 |archive-date=5 January 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200105010143/https://www.osme.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/23_Sandgrouse_31_Pages_91-103_ATR.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref> [[Lakshadweep]] islands, the [[Maldive Islands]],<ref name="pcr" /> and Turkey.<ref name="Middle East" /> In Kuwait, it is a common winter visitor at [[Green Island (Kuwait)|Green Island]] and farmlands near [[Al Jahra]].<ref>{{cite journal |author1=Bonser, R. |name-list-style=amp |author2=Al-Sirhan, A. |author3=Crochet, P.-A. |author4=Legrand, V. |author5=Monticelli, D. |author6=Pope, M. |year=2011 |title=Birding Kuwait |journal=Birding World |volume=24 |pages=1β18 |url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/272490698 |access-date=26 June 2021 |archive-date=2 September 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210902063904/https://www.researchgate.net/publication/272490698_Birding_Kuwait |url-status=live }}</ref> In the 1970s, it was reported as a common winter visitor to the [[marsh]]es and [[mudflat]]s of [[Shadegan County]] in Iran.<ref>{{cite report |author=Scott, D. A. |year=2001 |title=The birds of Shadegan Marshes and adjacent tidal mudflats |publisher=Ramsar Convention Secretariat |location=Gland, Switzerland |url=https://rsis.ramsar.org/RISapp/files/184/documents/IR41taxo.pdf |access-date=8 April 2021 |archive-date=26 October 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151026085549/https://rsis.ramsar.org/RISapp/files/184/documents/IR41taxo.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref> However, it is listed as resident in Iran.<ref>{{cite journal |author1=Scott, D. A. |name-list-style=amp |author2=Adhami, A. |year=2006 |title=An Updated Checklist of the Birds of Iran |journal=Podoces |volume=1 |issue=(1/2) |pages=1β16 |url=http://www.wesca.net/Podoces1/PODOCES_1(1-2)_Checklist%20of%20the%20Birds%20of%20Iran.pdf |access-date=7 June 2021 |archive-date=7 June 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210607181942/http://www.wesca.net/Podoces1/PODOCES_1(1-2)_Checklist%20of%20the%20Birds%20of%20Iran.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name=Almasieh2020>{{cite journal |author1=Almasieh, K. |name-list-style=amp |author2=Moazami, M. |year=2020 |title=Identifying avifauna and the presence time of migratory birds at a university campus in the southwest of Iran |journal=Journal of Animal Diversity |volume=2 |issue=1 |pages=104β126 |doi=10.29252/JAD.2020.2.1.4 |url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/342006875 |doi-access=free |access-date=7 June 2021 |archive-date=2 September 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210902063904/https://www.researchgate.net/publication/342006875_Identifying_avifauna_and_the_presence_time_of_migratory_birds_at_a_university_campus_in_the_southwest_of_Iran |url-status=live }}</ref> The species is common, and often found in open woodland dominated by trees of the genera ''[[Acacia]]'' and ''[[Prosopis]]'', and has adapted well to human-modified landscapes such as parks and gardens, fields, date and coconut palm [[plantation]]s. It has been nicknamed "[[roundabout]] bird" in northern Oman, where pairs live in vegetation at roundabouts.<ref name="Fry1992" /> In Oman, it is common in the [[Al Batinah Region]] and in cultivated areas east of the [[Sharqiya Sands]] below elevations of {{cvt|1000|m}}.<ref>{{cite journal |author=Jennings, M. C. |year=1995 |title=ABBA survey 15 to Northern Oman, Winter 1993/94 |journal=The Phoenix |issue=12 |pages=5β7 |url=https://archive.org/details/phoenix121995jenn/page/n5/mode/2up}}</ref> In India, it was sighted at elevations ranging from sea level in the [[Bhitarkanika Mangroves]] and the [[Gulf of Mannar]] to about {{cvt|2100|m}} in the [[Nilgiri Mountains]].<ref>{{cite journal |author=Pandav, B. |year=1996 |title=The birds of Bhitarkanika Mangroves, eastern India |journal=Forktail |issue=12 |pages=9β20 |url=https://archive.org/details/forktail1112unse/page/6/mode/2up}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |author=Balachnadran, S. |year=1995 |title=Shore birds of the Marine National Park in the Gulf of Mannar, Tamil Nadu |journal=Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society |volume=92 |issue=3 |pages=303β313 |url=https://archive.org/details/journalofbombay921995bomb/page/313/mode/1up}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |author1=Zarri, A. A.|author2=Rahmani, A. R. |name-list-style=amp |year=2005 |title=Annotated avifauna of the Upper Nilgiris, Western Ghats, India |journal=Buceros |volume=10 |issue=1 |pages=1β60 |url=https://archive.org/details/bucerosenvisne1012005bomb/page/22/mode/1up}}</ref> ==Behaviour and ecology == The Indian roller is generally not very [[Sociality|gregarious]] and is usually found alone or in pairs.<ref name="Cramp1985" /> It is often [[Territory (animal)|territorial]], though migrants may forage in flocks with no aggression. They patrol their territory by flying at treetop height or three-stories high and when an intruder is spotted, they drive it away by a fast rolling flight. Its [[Bird migration|migration]] patterns are not well understood; in Oman they are present year-round but appear to be more common in winter than summer.<ref name="Fry1992" /> [[File:Indian Roller Drying feathers.jpg|thumb|right|Indian roller [[Sunning (behaviour)|sunning]]]] The Indian roller spends a few minutes [[preening]] followed by flying around its roosting site. It favours electric or telegraph wires as perches. It has been observed perching in trees and shrubs at a height of {{convert|3-9|m|abbr=on|sigfig=1}} from where it flies down to forage for ground insects. It also uses higher perches in the upper canopy of trees.<ref name=Sivakumaran>{{cite journal |author1=Sivakumaran, N. |author2=Thiyagesan, K. |name-list-style=amp |year=2003 |title=Population, diurnal activity patterns and feeding ecology of the Indian Roller ''Coracias benghalensis'' (Linnaeus, 1758) |journal=Zoos' Print Journal |volume=18 |issue=5 |pages=1091β1095 |doi=10.11609/jott.zpj.18.5.1091-5 |doi-access=free}}</ref> The display of the Indian roller is [[aerobatic]] with twists and turns.<ref name=pcr/> It is attracted by [[wildfires]] and darts into hot smoke in pursuit of insects.<ref name=Fry1992/> It has been observed following tractors for disturbed [[invertebrate]]s. In agricultural habitats in southern India, it has been found at densities of about 50 birds per km<sup>2</sup>.<ref name=Sivakumaran/><ref name="Mathew, DN; Narendran, TC; Zacharias, VJ 1978 1178β1197">{{cite journal |author1=Mathew, D. N. |author2=Narendran, T. C. |author3=Zacharias, V. J. |name-list-style=amp |year=1978 |title=A comparative study of the feeding habits of certain species of Indian birds affecting agriculture |journal=Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society |volume=75 |issue=4 |pages=1178β1197 |url=https://archive.org/details/journalofbomba751978bomb/page/1181/mode/1up}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |title=Anatomy and evolution of the feeding apparatus in the avian orders Coraciiformes and Piciformes |author=Burton, P. K. J. |pages=331β443 |year=1984 |volume=47 |issue=6 |journal=Bulletin of the British Museum (Natural History), Zoology Series |doi=10.5962/p.271707 |url=https://archive.org/stream/bulletinofbritis47zoollond#page/331/mode/1up|doi-access=free }}</ref> Nesting Indian rollers act aggressively towards potential predators. They drive away [[Indian jungle crow]]s (''Corvus culminatus'') from nests and have even been recorded repeatedly divebombing an [[Egyptian vulture]] (''Neophron percnopterus''),<ref name="Cramp1985" /> and flying at humans.<ref name="Fry1992" /> ''[[Haemoproteus]] coraciae'' live inside the red-blood cells<ref>{{cite journal|author1=Bishop, M. A. |author2=Bennett, G. F.|year=1986|title=Avian Haemoproteidae. 23. The haemoproteids of the avian family Coraciidae (rollers)|journal= Canadian Journal of Zoology|volume= 64| issue=9|pages= 1860β1863| doi=10.1139/z86-277 }}</ref> and ''[[Leucocytozoon]]'' blood parasites have been recorded in the lung tissues.<ref>{{cite journal |author1=De Mello, I. F. |author2=Emidio, A. |name-list-style=amp |year=1935 |title=Blood parasites of ''Coracias b. benghalensis'' with special remarks on its two types of Leucocytozoon |journal=Proceedings of the Indian Academy of Sciences, Section B |volume=2 |pages=67β73 |doi=10.1007/BF03039981 |s2cid=83234083 |url=http://www.ias.ac.in/jarch/procb/2/00000076.pdf |access-date=4 July 2009 |archive-date=29 March 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120329034644/http://www.ias.ac.in/jarch/procb/2/00000076.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref> Parasitic [[helminth]] worms ''Hadjelia srivastavai, Cyrnea graphophasiani,''<ref>{{cite journal |author=Ilyas, R.|year=1981|title=Redescription of ''Dispharynx pavonis'' Sanwal, 1951 and ''Cyrnea graphophasiani'' Yamaguti 1935|journal=Rivista di Parassitologia |volume=42|issue=1|pages=179β183}}</ref> ''[[Habronema]] thapari''<ref>{{cite journal |author=Sanwal, K. C. |year=1951|title=On a new avian nematode, ''Habronema thapari'' n.sp. (sub-fam. Spirurinae Railliet, 1915) from the blue jay, ''Coracias benghalensis'' (Linnaeus) |journal=Indian Journal of Helminthology |volume=3 |issue=2 |pages=79β86}}</ref> and ''Synhimantus spiralis'' have been recorded from the [[gizzard]]s of Indian rollers.<ref>{{cite journal |author1=Junker, K. |author2=Boomker, J. |name-list-style=amp |year=2007 |title=A check list of the helminths of guineafowls (Numididae) and a host list of these parasites |journal=Onderstepoort Journal of Veterinary Research |volume=74 |pages=315β337 |pmid=18453241 |issue=4 |doi=10.4102/ojvr.v74i4.118 |doi-access=free|hdl=2263/5124 |hdl-access=free }}</ref> ===Breeding=== [[File:Indian roller playing hide and seek.jpg|thumb|Indian rollers nest in hollows or crevices in buildings.|alt=An Indian roller nesting in the hollow of a tree]]The breeding season is March to June, slightly earlier in southern India,<ref name=pcr/> when adult males and females form [[pair bond]]s.<ref name=Fry1992/> During courtship, mates perform aerial displays which include steep, undulating flights, somersaults, nose-drives, hovering and lateral rolling. This is accompanied by vocalizations.<ref name=Cramp1985/> The pair then perch and display to each other with bows, dropped wings and fanned tails and may engage in [[Preening#Allopreening|allopreening]].<ref name=pcr/><ref name=Cramp1985/> The nest site is usually an existing hole in a tree, a dead palm or building but may also be a hole in a mud bank. The hole may be excavated completely in soft material such as rotten wood. A thin mat of feathers, straw or grass is placed at the bottom of the cavity.<ref name=Cramp1985/> In [[Bandhavgarh National Park]], nests have been recorded at heights of {{cvt|3|m|sigfig=1}} in ''[[Shorea robusta]]'' trees and {{cvt|7.5|m}} above the ground in ''[[Syzygium cumini]]'' trees.<ref>{{cite journal |author1=Tyabji, H. N. |year=1994 |title=The birds of Bandhavgarh National Park, M.P. |journal=Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society |volume=91 |issue=1 |pages=51β77 |url=https://archive.org/details/journalofbomba9111994bomb/page/64/mode/1up}}</ref> The [[Clutch (eggs)|clutch]] consists of 3β5 eggs, which are white and oval with an average size of {{cvt|33|x|27|mm}}. The eggs are incubated mainly by the female beginning as soon as the first egg is laid and hatch asynchronously after 17 to 19 days. The young are naked when first hatched and are fed and cared for by both parents. The fledging period lasts 30 to 35 days.<ref name=Cramp1985/> ===Food and feeding=== [[File:Indian roller (Coracias benghalensis benghalensis) composite.jpg|thumb|upright=2|Indian roller eating a grasshopper]] The Indian roller descends to the ground to capture insects and to a lesser extent amphibians, reptiles, birds, and small mammals.<ref name=Cramp1985/><ref>{{cite book |pages=155β159 |chapter=1022. ''Coracias indica'' |chapter-url=https://archive.org/details/foodofbirdsinind00masorich/page/155/mode/1up |title=Memoirs of the Department of Agriculture in India |series=Entomological Series |volume=III. The Food of Birds in India |author=Mason, C. W. |editor=Maxwell-Lefroy, H. |year=1911 |place=Pusa |publisher=Agricultural Research Institute}}</ref> It is attracted to swarms of winged [[termite]]s; as many as 40 birds have been seen to perch on a {{cvt|70|m}} stretch of electric wire to hunt them.<ref>{{cite journal |author=Bharos, A. M. K. |year=1990 |title=Unusually large congregation and behaviour of Indian Rollers ''Coracias benghalensis'' |journal=Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society |volume=87 |issue=2 |page=300 |url=https://archive.org/details/journalofbombay871990bomb/page/300/mode/1up}}</ref> [[Beetles]] make up around 45% of its diet, followed by [[grasshopper]]s and [[Cricket (insect)|crickets]] at around 25%.<ref name=Sivakumaran/> The Indian roller often associates with the [[great Indian bustard]] (''Ardeotis nigriceps''), catching insects flushed out by the latter species.<ref>{{cite journal |author1=Rahmani, A. R. |author2=Manakadan, R. |name-list-style=amp |year=1987 |title=Interspecific behaviour the Great Indian Bustard ''Ardeotis nigriceps'' (Vigors) |journal=Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society |volume=84 |issue=2 |pages=317β331 |url=https://archive.org/details/journalofbombay841987bomb/page/n369/mode/2up}}</ref> In [[Tamil Nadu]], it was observed to forage mainly by [[Gleaning (birds)|gleaning]] (catching prey on a surface), followed by feeding on the ground and in the air.<ref>{{cite journal |author1=Asokan, S. |author2=Ali, A. M. S. |name-list-style=amp |journal=Journal of Threatened Taxa |volume=2 |issue=2 |pages=690β694 |title=Foraging behavior of selected insectivorous birds in Cauvery Delta region of Nagapattinam District, Tamil Nadu, India |doi=10.11609/jott.o2201.690-4 |doi-access=free |year=2010}}</ref> It occasionally dives into water to take frogs and fish, much like a [[kingfisher]].<ref name=Fry1992/><ref name=hbk/> It may make use of opportunities such as insects attracted to lights, feeding even late after dusk.<ref>{{cite journal|author=Bharos, A. M. K.|year=1992|title=Feeding by Common Nightjars ''Caprimulgus asiaticus'' and Indian Roller ''Coracias benghalensis'' in the light of mercury vapour lamps |issue=1 |url=https://archive.org/details/journalofbombay891992bomb/page/124/mode/1up |journal=Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society |volume=89|page=124}}</ref> In March 2019, an Indian roller was observed feeding on an Indian wolf snake (''[[Lycodon aulicus]]'') in [[Sathyamangalam Wildlife Sanctuary]].<ref>{{cite journal |author1=Vishnu, S.N. |name-list-style=amp |author2=Ramesh, C. |year=2021 |title=Predation on a Common Wolfsnake, ''Lycodon aulicus'' (Colubridae), by an Indian Roller, ''Coracias benghalensis'' (Coraciidae), in the Sathyamangalam Tiger Reserve, Tamil Nadu, India |journal=Reptiles & Amphibians |volume=28 |issue=1 |pages=157β158 |doi=10.17161/randa.v28i1.15379 |url=https://journals.ku.edu/reptilesandamphibians/article/view/15379/13887|doi-access=free }}</ref> ==Conservation== In India, the Indian roller received legal protection in 1887, when hunting it was banned under the Wild Birds Protection Act of 1887 and later under the Wild Birds and Animals Protection Act of 1912.<ref>{{cite journal |author1=Bainbrigge Fletcher, T. |author2=Inglis, C. M. |name-list-style=amp |year=1920 |title=Some common Indian birds. No. 1 β The Indian Roller (''Coracias indica'') |journal=The Agricultural Journal of India |volume=15 |pages=1β4 |url=https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.20307/page/n13/mode/1up}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |author=Bidie, G. |url=https://archive.org/details/papersonbirdprot00unse/page/n220/mode/1up|title=The Protection of Wild Birds in India|publisher=Society for the Protection of Birds. No. 37|year=1901}}</ref> In Iran, the Indian roller is protected by the [[Islam]]ic code,<ref name=":1">{{cite journal |author=Goodell, G. |year=1979 |title=Bird lore in southwestern Iran |journal=Asian Folklore Studies |volume=38 |issue=2 |pages=131β153 |doi=10.2307/1177687 |jstor=1177687}}</ref> but not listed as protected by law.<ref name=Almasieh2020/> As of 2016, the Indian roller was listed as a species of [[least concern]] on the [[IUCN Red List]], due to its wide range and apparent increasing population. The total population size is unknown, but it appears to be common in most of its range.<ref name=iucn/> As of 2015, about 2,500 breeding pairs were estimated to live in Iraq and 15,000 breeding pairs in the [[Arabian Peninsula]]; the population was thought to have increased in particular in the United Arab Emirates.<ref>{{cite book |author1=Symes, A. |author2=Taylor, J. |author3=Mallon, D. |author4=Porter, R. |author5=Simms, C. |author6=Budd, K. |name-list-style=amp |year=2015 |title=The conservation status and distribution of the breeding birds of the Arabian peninsula |publisher=IUCN and Environment and Protected Areas Authority |location=Cambridge, UK; Gland, Switzerland; Sharjah, United Arab Emirates |url=https://portals.iucn.org/library/sites/library/files/documents/RL-53-004.pdf |access-date=9 April 2021 |archive-date=29 April 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190429034555/https://portals.iucn.org/library/sites/library/files/documents/RL-53-004.pdf |url-status=live}}</ref> === Threats === The numbers of Indian roller sighted along the highway between [[Aligarh]] and [[New Delhi]] decreased between the mid 1960s and mid 1980s, as traffic increased during that time.<ref>{{cite journal |author=Saiduzzafar, H. |year=1984| title=Some observations on the apparent decrease in numbers of the Northern Roller or Blue Jay ''Coracias benghalensis'' |journal=[[Newsletter for Birdwatchers]] |volume=24 |issue=5&6 |pages=4β5 |url=https://archive.org/stream/NLBW24#page/n25/mode/1up}}</ref> Its habit of feeding near roadsides sometimes results in [[Roadkill|collisions with traffic]].<ref>{{cite journal |author=Goenka, D. |year=1986 |title=Lack of traffic sense amongst Indian Rollers |journal=Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society |volume=83 |issue=3 |page=665 |url=https://archive.org/details/journal83198618861986bomb/page/665/mode/1up}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |author=Sundar, K. S. G. |year=2004 |title=Mortality of herpetofauna, birds and mammals due to vehicular traffic in Etawah District, Uttar Pradesh, India |journal=Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society |volume=101 |issue=3 |pages=392β398 |url=https://archive.org/details/journalofbomba1012004bomb/page/392/mode/2up}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |author1=Siva, T. |author2=Neelanarayanan, P. |name-list-style=amp |date=2020 |title=Impact of vehicular traffic on birds in Tiruchirappalli District, Tamil Nadu, India |journal=Journal of Threatened Taxa |volume=12 |issue=10|pages=16352β16356 |doi=10.11609/jott.5532.12.10.16352-16356 |doi-access=free}}</ref> Its habit of utilizing powerlines puts it at risk of [[electrocution]]. In Rajasthan, it was found to be the second most commonly electrocuted bird after the [[house crow]] (''Corvus splendens'').<ref>{{cite journal |author1=Harness, R. E. |author2=Javvadi, P. R. |author3=Dwyer, J. F. |name-list-style=amp |year=2013 |title=Avian electrocutions in western Rajasthan, India |journal=Journal of Raptor Research |volume=47|issue=4 |pages=352β364 |doi=10.3356/JRR-13-00002.1 |doi-access=free}}</ref> ==In culture== [[File:Sheikh Zain ud-Din - Indian Roller on Sandalwood.jpg|thumb|Painting by [[Sheikh Zainuddin]], from the [[Impey Album]], {{circa|1780}}.]] The Indian roller is associated with [[Hinduism|Hindu]] legends and said to be sacred to [[Vishnu]]; it used to be caught and released during festivals such as [[Dussera]] or the last day of [[Durga Puja]].<ref>{{cite book |page=33 |chapter=The Roller |title=Beast and Man in India; a Popular Sketch of Indian Animals in Their Relations with the People |author=Kipling, J. L. |year=1904 |publisher=Macmillan and Co. |place=London |chapter-url=https://archive.org/stream/beastmaninindiap00kipliala#page/33/mode/1up/}}</ref> Adding its chopped feathers to fodder for cows was believed to increase the latter's [[milk]] yield, giving it the [[Telugu language|Telugu]] name of "paala-pitta" ({{langx|te|ΰ°ͺΰ°Ύΰ°²ΰ°ͺΰ°Ώΰ°ΰ±ΰ°|pΔlapiαΉαΉa|label=none}}), meaning 'milk bird'.<ref name=thurston12>{{cite book |chapter=The Indian roller (''Coracias indica'') |title=Omens and superstitions of southern India |author=Thurston, E. |year=1912 |publisher=McBride, Nast and Company |place=New York |page=88 |chapter-url=https://archive.org/stream/omenssuperstitio00thur#page/88/mode/1up}}</ref> A [[Hindustani language|Hindustani]] name is "neelkanth" ({{langx|hi|ΰ€¨ΰ₯ΰ€²ΰ€ΰ€ΰ€ }}; {{langx|ur|ΩΫΩ Ϊ©ΩΩΉΪΎ|nΔ«lkaαΉαΉh}}),<ref>{{cite book |author=Blanford, W. T. |author-link=William Thomas Blanford |year=1889 |publisher=Taylor & Francis |location=London |title=The Fauna of British India, Including Ceylon and Burma |volume=Birds Volume 3 |pages=103β105 |chapter=''Coracias indica''. The Indian Roller |chapter-url=https://archive.org/stream/faunaofbritishin03oate#page/103/mode/2up}}</ref> meaning 'blue throat', a name associated with the deity [[Shiva]] due to a legend that he drank the [[Halahala]] poison emerging from [[Samudra Manthana]] to save the world but stopped it from going past his throat, turning it blue.<ref name=":0">{{cite journal |author=Mitra, S. C. |year=1898 |title=Bengali and Behari Folklore about Birds. Part I |journal=Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal |series=Part III. Anthropology and Cognate Subjects |volume=67 |issue=2 |pages=67β74 |authorlink=Saratchandra Mitra}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |title=Vernacular Names of the Birds of the Indian Subcontinent |journal=Buceros |author=Anonymous |year=1998 |volume=3 |issue=1 |pages=53β109 |url=https://archive.org/stream/IndianBirdNames/Buceros_3_1_birdNames#page/n28/mode/1up}}</ref> The [[Kol people]] traditionally considered a sighting of an Indian roller as a good omen<ref>{{cite book |author=Griffiths, Walter G. |chapter=Luck and Omens |title=The Kol tribe of central India|year=1946 |publisher=The Asiatic Society |place=Calcutta|page=196 |chapter-url=https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.24062/page/n237/mode/1up}}</ref> as did people in Bengal who, upon seeing the bird, would chant a couplet showing devotion to Vishnu and seeking a vision of the bird at the time of their death.<ref name=":0" /> A nomadic tribe of fortune-tellers from the [[Visakhapatnam district|Vishakapatnam]] area wore feathers of the Indian roller on their head utilizing the folk belief that the bird could foretell events.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://archive.org/details/castestribesofso06thuruoft/page/262/mode/1up |title=Castes and Tribes of Southern India. Volume VI.| author=Thurston, Edgar|year=1909 |publisher=Government Press |place= Madras |page=262}}</ref> The Indian roller is the [[List of Indian state birds|state bird]] of the Indian states of [[Odisha]], [[Telangana]],<ref>{{cite web|title=States and Union Territories Symbols |url=http://knowindia.gov.in/knowindia/national_symbols.php?id=16#od |website=Know India |publisher=National Informatics Centre (NIC), DeitY, MoCIT, Government of India |access-date=26 June 2016|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131112080035/http://knowindia.gov.in/knowindia/national_symbols.php?id=16#od|archive-date=12 November 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=State Symbols |publisher=Government of Telangana |url=http://www.telangana.gov.in/about/state-symbols |access-date=26 June 2016|archive-date=19 May 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170519180957/http://www.telangana.gov.in/About/State-Symbols|url-status=live}}</ref> and [[Karnataka]].<ref>{{cite book |editor=The Director |year=2013 |title=Fauna of Karnataka |series=State Fauna Series, 21 |place=Kolkata |publisher=Zoological Survey of India |author=Ilango, K. |chapter=An Overview |pages=1β6 |chapter-url=https://archive.org/details/faunaofkarnataka/page/n11/mode/1up}}</ref> At the height of the [[Plume hunting|plume trade]] in the early 20th century, the Indian roller was sought for export of its colourful feathers, and was among the most widely killed bird species in India.<ref>{{cite book |author=Watt, G. |title=The Commercial Products of India |publisher=John Murray |year=1908 |place=London |page=140 |chapter=Plumage-Birds |chapter-url=https://archive.org/details/TheCommercialProductsOfIndia/page/n133/mode/1up}}</ref> ==References== {{Reflist}} ==External links== {{Commons category|Coracias benghalensis}} {{Wikispecies|Coracias benghalensis}} * {{cite web |author=BirdLife International |year=2021 |title=Species factsheet: Indian Roller ''Coracias benghalensis'' |url=http://datazone.birdlife.org/species/factsheet/indian-roller-coracias-benghalensis}} * {{cite web |url=https://search.macaulaylibrary.org/catalog?taxonCode=indrol2 |title=Indian roller. Videos, photos and sounds |publisher=Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Cornell University |date=2021}} {{portalbar|Birds|Mammals}} {{Odisha}} {{Karnataka topics}} {{Telangana}} {{Taxonbar|from=Q477133}} {{featured article}} [[Category:Coraciidae|Indian roller]] [[Category:Articles containing video clips]] [[Category:Birds of the Maldives]] [[Category:Birds of the Middle East]] [[Category:Birds of South Asia]] [[Category:Birds described in 1758|Indian roller]] [[Category:Taxa named by Carl Linnaeus|Indian roller]] [[Category:Coracias]]
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