These flashy and conspicuous birds often pose in the open and are irresistible subjects for photography. They use a sit-and-wait technique to capture insects off the ground or in mid-air. This is an adult showing its long, deeply forked tail. Males and females are similar. This is the nominate race, C. c. caudatus which ranges from South Africa north to northeast Kenya where it is replaced abruptly by C. c. lorti (aka Lilac-throated Roller) which has the breast blue instead of Lilac.
Rollers are in the family Coraciidae characterized by their rolling aerial courtship displays. They are included with the Bee-eaters and Kingfishers in the order Coraciiformes. The scientific name was originally spelled C. caudata and that name is used in older references. However, Coracias is masculine requiring a spelling change for gender agreement.
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