Rufous-crowned Roller
Rufous-crowned RollerRufous-crowned RollerRufous-crowned RollerRufous-crowned Roller

Rufous-crowned Roller

Coracias naevius

Silhouette: Ferran Sayol · PhyloPic

Least ConcernNear ThreatenedVulnerableEndangeredCritically Endangered
Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
at Masai Mara National Reserve
66 Verified sightings at Masai Mara National Reserve From 2019 to 2026
2,973 Verified sightings across all 36 parks From 2019 to 2026
February Best month highest sighting rate
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted during daytime hours (6am–6pm)

About the Rufous-crowned Roller

The name "purple roller" can also refer to the azure dollarbird (Eurystomus azureus) of Indonesia. The purple roller (Coracias naevius), or rufous-crowned roller, is a medium-sized bird widespread in sub-Saharan Africa. Compared with other rollers its colours are rather dull and its voice harsh and grating.

The purple roller was formally described in 1800 by the French zoologist François Marie Daudin under the binomial name Coracias naevia. Daudin's description was based on a specimen collected in Senegal. The specific epithet is from Latin naevius meaning "spotted" or "marked". A molecular phylogenetic study published in 2018 found that the purple roller was most closely related to the racket-tailed roller (Coracias spatulatus).

The phylogenetic relationships among the Coracias species are shown below, from the molecular study by Johansson et al. (2018) Two subspecies are recognised: Lilac-throated roller (C. n. naevius) – Daudin, 1800: The common name for this subspecies is also used as an alternate name for the lilac-breasted roller. Found from Senegal and Gambia to Somalia and northern Tanzania

C. n. mosambicus – Dresser, 1890: Originally described... Wikipedia →

Closest Relatives at Masai Mara National Reserve

Lilac-breasted Roller
LC

Lilac-breasted Roller

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Coracias caudatus

Daily sighting probability ~60% · Likely
European Roller
LC

European Roller

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Coracias garrulus

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
Broad-billed Roller
LC

Broad-billed Roller

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Eurystomus glaucurus

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
Little Bee-eater
LC

Little Bee-eater

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Merops pusillus

Daily sighting probability ~40% · Likely
Gray-headed Kingfisher
LC

Gray-headed Kingfisher

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Halcyon leucocephala

Daily sighting probability ~20% · Possible
Woodland Kingfisher
LC

Woodland Kingfisher

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Halcyon senegalensis

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck
Pied Kingfisher
LC

Pied Kingfisher

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Ceryle rudis

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck
Striped Kingfisher
LC

Striped Kingfisher

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Halcyon chelicuti

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck
Malachite Kingfisher
LC

Malachite Kingfisher

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Corythornis cristatus

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck
European Bee-eater
LC

European Bee-eater

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Merops apiaster

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck
African Pygmy-Kingfisher
LC

African Pygmy-Kingfisher

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Ispidina picta

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
Cinnamon-chested Bee-eater
LC

Cinnamon-chested Bee-eater

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Merops oreobates

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

Global Distribution

Warmer areas are where this animal is recorded most often.

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Awash National Park 🇪🇹 Ethiopia
~40%
2 Etosha National Park 🇳🇦 Namibia
~20%
3 Ruaha National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
~20%
4 Waterberg Plateau Park 🇳🇦 Namibia
~20%
5 Hwange National Park 🇿🇼 Zimbabwe
~20%
6 Kidepo Valley National Park 🇺🇬 Uganda
~20%
7 Kruger National Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
~10%
8 Samburu National Reserve 🇰🇪 Kenya
~10%
9 Meru National Park 🇰🇪 Kenya
~10%
10 Mkomazi National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
~10%
11 Gonarezhou National Park 🇿🇼 Zimbabwe
~10%
12 Tsavo West National Park 🇰🇪 Kenya
~10%
13 Kafue National Park 🇿🇲 Zambia
~10%
14 Serengeti National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
~10%
15 Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
<5%
16 Lake Nakuru National Park 🇰🇪 Kenya
<5%
17 Moremi Game Reserve 🇧🇼 Botswana
<5%
18 Tarangire National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
<5%
19 Ngorongoro Conservation Area 🇹🇿 Tanzania
<5%
20 Tsavo East National Park 🇰🇪 Kenya
<5%
21 Chobe National Park 🇧🇼 Botswana
<5%
22 Masai Mara National Reserve 🇰🇪 Kenya
<5%
23 Pilanesberg National Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
<5%
24 Mana Pools National Park 🇿🇼 Zimbabwe
<5%
25 Namib-Naukluft National Park 🇳🇦 Namibia
<5%
26 Garden Route National Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
Insufficient data
27 Lower Zambezi National Park 🇿🇲 Zambia
Insufficient data
28 Mikumi National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
Insufficient data
29 Niokolo-Koba National Park 🇸🇳 Senegal
Insufficient data
30 Arusha National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
Insufficient data
31 Amboseli National Park 🇰🇪 Kenya
Insufficient data
32 Queen Elizabeth National Park 🇺🇬 Uganda
Insufficient data
33 Murchison Falls National Park 🇺🇬 Uganda
Insufficient data
34 Lake Mburo National Park 🇺🇬 Uganda
Insufficient data
35 Nairobi National Park 🇰🇪 Kenya
Insufficient data
36 Virunga National Park 🇨🇩 Democratic Republic of the Congo
Insufficient data

Quick answers

What are the chances of seeing a Rufous-crowned Roller in Masai Mara National Reserve?

Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Rufous-crowned Roller sighting in Masai Mara National Reserve, based on 66 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.

When is the best time to see Rufous-crowned Roller in Masai Mara National Reserve?

February has the highest sighting rate for Rufous-crowned Roller in Masai Mara National Reserve in our monthly data.

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