Indochinese roller

The Indochinese roller (Coracias affinis) or Burmese roller, is a member of the roller bird family. It occurs widely from eastern India to Myanmar and Southeast Asia. It is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.[1]

Indochinese roller
from Thailand
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Coraciiformes
Family: Coraciidae
Genus: Coracias
Species:
C. affinis
Binomial name
Coracias affinis
Horsfield, 1840

Description

It is a stocky bird. The crown and vent are blue. The primaries are deep purplish blue with a band of pale blue. The tail is sky blue with a terminal band of Prussian blue and the central feathers are dull green. The neck and throat are purplish lilac with white shaft streaks. The bare patch around the eye is ochre in colour. The three forward toes are united at the base.[2] Rollers have a long and compressed bill with a curved upper edge and a hooked tip. The nostril is long and exposed and there are long rictal bristles at the base of the bill.[3] It has a purplish brown and unstreaked face and breast.[2] It has underwing coverts in a deep shade of blue.[4] Within the Indian region, it is seen to intergrade with the Indian roller.

Distribution and habitat

The Indochinese roller is distributed across Asia, from eastern India into Southeast Asia.[4]

References
  1. BirdLife International 2016. Coracias affinis. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2016: e.T22725924A94906187. https://doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T22725924A94906187.en. Downloaded on 25 June 2019.
  2. Rasmussen PC; JC Anderton (2005). Birds of South Asia: The Ripley Guide. 2. Smithsonian Institution & Lynx Edicions. p. 270.
  3. Whistler, Hugh (1949). Popular handbook of Indian birds (4th ed.). Gurney and Jackson, London. pp. 293–295.
  4. Ali, S; S D Ripley (1983). Handbook of the birds of India and Pakistan. 4 (2nd ed.). Oxford University Press. pp. 116–120.
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