© Erik Martin
© Stephen Gast
© Nige Hartley
© Robert Doubell

Racket-tailed Roller Coracias spatulatus

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Identification

POWERED BY MERLIN

Scarce and beautiful long-tailed roller. Varies geographically: birds in the southern part of the range have a blue breast, while those in the north have a pink breast. Distinctive tail shape: rounded rackets at the tips of the elongated outer tail feathers. Found in lush woodland, mostly miombo. Calls are an unmusical variety of hollow notes, squawks, and squeaks. Pink-breasted birds are very similar to Lilac-breasted Roller, but Racket-tailed has rufous on the shoulder and a distinctive tail shape.

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