Photo: Patrick Coin (Patrick Coin) / CC BY-SA 2.5 (Wikimedia Commons)
Racket-tailed Roller
Coracias spatulatus
Racket-tailed Roller (Coracias spatulatus) — Kingfishers & Rollers of Africa.
Found across 3 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Racket-tailed Roller (Coracias spatulatus) is a member of the Coraciidae family found in Africa. Adults weigh 90.4 g. The IUCN Red List lists it as Least Concern.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List (opens in a new tab)Widespread and abundant — not currently at risk.
Where it fits
- Class Aves
- Order Coraciiformes
- Family Coraciidae Rollers
- Genus Coracias
- Species spatulatus
Where it lives
Angola, southeastern DR Congo and southern Tanzania to northern Botswana, Zimbabwe, Malawi and Mozambique
Quick facts
- Weight
- 90.4 g
- Diet
- Invertebrate-eaters
- Family
- Coraciidae
- Order
- Coraciiformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
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Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Racket-tailed Roller is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Behaviour
A bird of semi-open woodland, it spends much of its time perched in trees and shrubs.
Migration
The Racket-tailed Roller is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Racket-tailed Roller (Coracias spatulatus) is a member of the Coraciidae family, within the order Coraciiformes. It is found across Africa. Its distribution covers AF Angola, se DR Congo and s Tanzania to n Botswana, Zimbabwe, Malawi and Mozambique.
It is a medium-sized bird. Adults weighs around 90.4 g, with a wing length of about 16.5 cm and a tail of around 13.2 cm.
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
The species has a mapped global range of roughly 2.9 million km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Racket-tailed Roller?
The Racket-tailed Roller is a medium-sized bird that weighs around 90.4 g.
Where does the Racket-tailed Roller live?
The Racket-tailed Roller is found across Africa with a range covering AF Angola, se DR Congo and s Tanzania to n Botswana, Zimbabwe, Malawi and Mozambique, where it favours woodland, forest and well-treed country.
What family does the Racket-tailed Roller belong to?
The Racket-tailed Roller (Coracias spatulatus) belongs to the Coraciidae family, in the order Coraciiformes.
What does the Racket-tailed Roller eat?
The Racket-tailed Roller is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Racket-tailed Roller migrate?
The Racket-tailed Roller is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Racket-tailed Roller endangered?
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
What sound does the Racket-tailed Roller make?
1 real field recording of the Racket-tailed Roller — including its song — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Racket-tailed Roller's range?
The Racket-tailed Roller has a mapped global range of about 2.9 million km².
Conservation
Every bird benefits from bird-safe windows, native plants, and keeping cats indoors. Small changes at home add up to real protection.
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