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Ground roller (Atelornis pittoides).
Courtship rituals of European bee-eaters and rollers
European roller Lilac-breasted roller (Coracias caudata).
Quizzes
turkey vulture. vulture. Close-up of a head and beak of a Turkey vulture (Cathartes aura).
A Little Bird Told Me
vulture. An adult bearded vulture at a raptor recovery center. The Gypaetus barbatus also known as the Lammergeier or Lammergeyer, is a bird of prey and considered an Old World vulture.
Animal Factoids
Sea otter (Enhydra lutris), also called great sea otter, rare, completely marine otter of the northern Pacific, usually found in kelp beds. Floats on back. Looks like sea otter laughing. saltwater otters
Animal Group Names
Lion (panthera leo)
Deadliest Animals Quiz
Young chimpanzee dressed in a shirt and sweater vest, scratching his head thinking. (primates)
Wild Words from the Animal Kingdom Vocabulary Quiz
Related Questions
Read Next
Spider monkey swinging in a tree. (primate, jungle animal)
Why Do Animals Have Tails?
White-throated sparrow (Zonotrichia albicollis) at Shenandoah National Park, Virginia. (birds)
15 of the Best Birdsongs (According to Britannica)
animal. Amphibian. Frog. Anura. Ranidae. Frog in grass.
Abundant Animals: The Most Numerous Organisms in the World
Black-headed gulls perching on a roof with bird droppings, often seen in flocks around London, England, in winter time. The "black head" develops during the breeding season. (black headed, birds, guano, bird poop)
Do Birds Pee?
Common, or southern, cassowary (Casuarius casuarius).
8 Birds That Can’t Fly
Discover
In this aerial photo, structures are damaged and destroyed October 15, 2005 in Balakot, Pakistan. It is estimated that 90% of the city of Balakot was leveled by the earthquake. The death toll in the 7.6 magnitude earthquake that struck northern Pakistan on October 8, 2005 is believed to be 38,000 with at least 1,300 more dead in Indian Kashmir. SEE CONTENT NOTES.
6 of the World’s Deadliest Natural Disasters
Mona Lisa, oil on wood panel by Leonardo da Vinci, c. 1503-06; in the Louvre, Paris, France. 77 x 53 cm.
Why Is the Mona Lisa So Famous?
United States Electoral College votes by state
How Many Electoral College Votes Does Each U.S. State Have?
Aphrodite. Greek mythology. Sculpture. Aphrodite is the Greek goddess of love and beauty.
12 Greek Gods and Goddesses
Albert Einstein in Washington, D.C. c. 1921-1923. Physicist
The Solar Eclipse That Made Albert Einstein a Science Celebrity
Pluto. The Changing Faces of Pluto. Most detailed view to date of the entire surface of the dwarf planet Pluto, as constructed from multiple NASA Hubble Space Telescope photographs taken from 2002 to 2003.
10 Important Dates in Pluto History
Coffee beans after roasting.
How Is Coffee Decaffeinated?
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Also known as: Coraciidae
Article History
Ground roller (Atelornis pittoides).
roller
See all media
Category: Animals & Nature
Related Topics:
coraciiform
common roller
See all related content →
Courtship rituals of European bee-eaters and rollers
Courtship rituals of European bee-eaters and rollers
Learn about the courtship rituals of European bee-eaters and European rollers.
See all videos for this article

roller, any of about 12 species of Old World birds constituting the family Coraciidae (order Coraciiformes), named for the dives and somersaults they perform during the display flights in courtship. The family is sometimes considered to include the ground rollers and cuckoo rollers. Rollers inhabit warm regions from Europe and Africa to Australia.

European roller
European roller
European roller (Coracias garrulus), Waza National Park, Cameroon.
Lilac-breasted roller (Coracias caudata).
Lilac-breasted roller (Coracias caudata).

Ranging in length from 25 to 32 cm (10 to 13 inches), rollers look like stocky, short-legged jays and are predominately blue or violet in colour. They gather in noisy flocks to feed on locusts, flying ants, and lizards. Most nest in tree holes; some burrow in termite nests.

vulture. An adult bearded vulture at a raptor recovery center. The Gypaetus barbatus also known as the Lammergeier or Lammergeyer, is a bird of prey and considered an Old World vulture.
Britannica Quiz
Animal Factoids

The 30-centimetre- (12-inch-) long common roller (Coracias garrulus), found from southern Europe to western Asia, has vivid blue wings with black borders. See also cuckoo roller; ground roller.

This article was most recently revised and updated by Amy Tikkanen.