On each of my visits to Ravis house in Kamalla, Sri Lanka, I have enjoyed seeing and photographing the Indian Rollers that live in the Coconut Grove next to the house. They definitely nested in the grove earlier this year. The nest was in an old coconut tree, in the same tree was the nest hole of a Barbet and also a Ring Necked Parakeet. All three species seemed tolerant of each other. I have read that the closely related European Roller is an aggressive species and will kill other small birds, removing them from the nest hole before taking it over but I didn't observe any aggression from these birds. I was pleased when I went earlier this month to see a pair again in the same area but obviously can't be certain if it was the same birds seen there before but probably. I have watched them feeding on numerous occasions, they always feed by sitting on a high perch and sight hunting. When they see a prey item they fly down to the ground and then take it back up to the original perch. They feed on grasshoppers, beetles and small lizards. As you can see, they are stunning in flight.
Here is a potential prey item, it's an Oriental Garden Lizard or Changeable Lizard (Calotes versicolor). This lizard was photographed in the territory of the Rollers and would deffinitely be on the menu.
Recent Comments