Photo: Giles Laurent / CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Purple Roller
Coracias naevius
Purple Roller (Coracias naevius) — 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 Purple Roller (Coracias naevius) is a member of the Coraciidae family found in Africa. Adults weigh 168 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 naevius
Quick facts
- Weight
- 168 g
- Diet
- Invertebrate-eaters
- Family
- Coraciidae
- Order
- Coraciiformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
Least Concern
Least Concern
Near Threatened
Least Concern
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Purple Roller is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Behaviour
A bird of semi-open scrub and shrubland, it spends much of its time perched in trees and shrubs.
Migration
The Purple Roller is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Purple Roller (Coracias naevius) is a member of the Coraciidae family, within the order Coraciiformes. Its range spans Africa. Its distribution covers AF widespread.
It is a medium-sized bird. Adults weighs around 168 g, with a wing length of about 18.2 cm and a tail of around 13.9 cm.
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
Its mapped global range covers an estimated 9.4 million km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Purple Roller?
The Purple Roller is a medium-sized bird that weighs around 168 g.
Where does the Purple Roller live?
The Purple Roller is found across Africa with a range covering AF widespread, where it favours woodland, forest and well-treed country.
What family does the Purple Roller belong to?
The Purple Roller (Coracias naevius) belongs to the Coraciidae family, in the order Coraciiformes.
What does the Purple Roller eat?
The Purple Roller is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Purple Roller migrate?
The Purple Roller is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Purple 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 Purple Roller make?
1 real field recording of the Purple Roller — including its call — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Purple Roller's range?
The Purple Roller has a mapped global range of about 9.4 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.
Explore more birds
More in Coraciidae
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
More in Kingfishers & Rollers
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Near Threatened
Least Concern
Least Concern