A bulky roller that is mostly dull purple-cinnamon in color; it is flecked with many fine white streaks and has a bold white eyebrow. It exposes colorful blue wings and tail while performing an acrobatic rolling flight display. Singles and pairs sit conspicuously in open savanna, preferring thornveld and drier woodlands. It perches on exposed snags and swoops to the ground to hunt large invertebrates and small vertebrates. A partial resident, it also enganges in complicated seasonal movements in parts of its range. The similarly-plumaged Broad-billed Roller is smaller, has a bright yellow (not dark) bill, and prefers moister habitats.