The Lilac Breasted Roller
If the sky ever decided to show off, it would probably take the form of a lilac-breasted roller. Perched high on an acacia branch, this small bird seems ordinary until it spreads its wings. Then suddenly, the air is full of color: lilac, turquoise, green, yellow, white, blue, black, and a glint of reddish brown. Eight shades of pure joy.
The lilac-breasted roller (Coracias caudatus) is Kenya’s national bird, and rightly so. It’s a symbol of how vibrant and diverse this country is. Each hue on its feathers represents one of the many tribes and cultures that make Kenya what it is.
But the roller’s beauty isn’t just skin deep. It belongs to a larger, flamboyant family of birds known for their aerobatics; the rollers. Found across Africa, Europe, and Asia, these birds don’t just fly; they tumble, twist, and dive through the air, especially when showing off for potential mates. The lilac-breasted roller is perhaps the most dazzling of them all, Africa’s very own sky acrobat.
Its lifestyle is simple but stylish. Found across sub-Saharan Africa, from Kenya to Namibia, Botswana, and Zimbabwe, the roller thrives in open savannah and woodland where it can perch, watch, and strike. Its diet is an entomologist’s nightmare: grasshoppers, beetles, crickets, centipedes, and occasionally small lizards or rodents. It hunts with the precision of a dart, swooping down from a high branch to snatch its prey, then returning to its lookout as if to say, “Yes, I did that.”
Though it looks delicate, this bird is tougher than it appears. It can live up to ten years in the wild and has few natural enemies. Its biggest challenges come from us shrinking habitats as land is cleared, and the illegal pet trade that plucks a few too many rainbows from the sky each year. The lilac-breasted roller is still listed as “Least Concern,” but its safety depends, as ever, on how gently we treat the wild.
Sometimes, when you’re driving through the savannah, you spot one sitting perfectly still on a branch, its colors glowing against the dusty gold of the land.
It doesn’t fly away. It simply exists, certain of its beauty, certain of its place in this world. I once saw one in Buffalo Springs National Reserve (Samburu) perched alone against the light and remember saying out loud, “What is that?” That moment stayed with me. I knew I wanted to write about it someday.
So if you ever find yourself out in nature in Samburu, Amboseli, Tsavo, or even along a quiet roadside tree look up. You might catch a flash of lilac against the blue.
Sincerely,
Blue 💙
