Racket-tailed Roller (Coracias spatulatus)

Other Scientific Names
Coracias spatulata [BirdLife International (2004)], Coracias spatulata [Sibley and Monroe (1990, 1993)], Coracias spatulata [Dowsett and Forbes-Watson (1993)]

Other Names (World)
Racquet-tailed Roller, Racket-tailed Roller, Weigall's Roller (weigalli)

Family
Coraciidae (Rollers)

Size
40 cm

First Described (Guide)
Trimen, 1880

Habitat
Subtropical and tropical dry forest, dry savanna. From sea-level - 1,300 m.

Range (Guide)

Angola, Botswana, Congo [The Democratic Republic of the], Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Swaziland (B), Tanzania [United Republic of], Zambia, Zimbabwe.

Southern Angola, south-eastern Zaire and through Zimbabwe to north-eastern South Africa.

Population
Estimated population is unknown (2010).

Status LC
For more information see BirdLife International Species Factsheet.

Voice
Xeno-Canto Sound Files (more (11)...)

Racket-tailed Roller (Coracias spatulatus) [XC854403]
by id from Mwekera Forestry College, Kitwe, Copperbelt, Zambia (song)

Racket-tailed Roller (Coracias spatulatus) [XC397991]
by Peter Boesman from Lukusuzi NP, Eastern province, Zambia (call)

Nest
An unlined cavity in a branch or tree trunk.

Subspecies
Affinities uncertain. Possibly closer to Abyssinian Roller (Coracias abyssinicus) than to Lilac-breasted Roller (Coracias caudatus). Status of subspecies weigalli disputed. Has been thought to be merely half-moulted immature of present species, but other authors regard it as a valid, geographically distinct taxon. The two subspecies evidently hybridize over c. 200-km-wide area from southern Tanzania through Malawi to central Mozambique.

The following 2 subspecies are recognised:

spatulatus Trimen, 1880 - Western Angola east to western Tanzania and Mozambique (south of R Zambezi).
weigalli Dresser, 1890 - Southern Tanzania and northern Mozambique (north of R Zambezi).

References
See References.

Files:

JPG files for Racket-tailed Roller (Coracias spatulatus) - 10 files

More Information

BirdLife International

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BirdLife International Species Factsheet.

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