Blue-bellied Roller
Coracias cyanogaster
Silhouette: Ferran Sayol · PhyloPic
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Chordates)
- ClassAves (Birds)
- OrderCoraciiformes (Rollers, Kingfishers, and Allies)
- FamilyCoraciidae (Rollers)
- GenusCoracias (Typical Rollers)
- SpeciesCoracias cyanogaster (Blue-bellied Roller)
About the Blue-bellied Roller
The blue-bellied roller (Coracias cyanogaster) is a member of the roller family of birds which breeds across Africa in a narrow belt from Senegal to northeast Democratic Republic of the Congo. It is resident, apart from some local seasonal movements, in mature moist savannah dominated by Isoberlinia trees.
The blue-bellied roller was given the binomial name Coracias cyanogaster in 1816 by the French naturalist Georges Cuvier based on "Le Rollier à ventre bleu" that had been described and illustrated by François Levaillant in 1806. The specific epithet combines the Ancient Greek kuanos meaning "dark-blue" with gastēr meaning "belly". Levaillant mistaken believed that the specimen had been collected on the island of Java. The species is resident in West-Africa and the type location was later designated as Senegal. The species is monotypic: no subspecies are recognised.
The phylogenetic relationships among the Coracias species are shown below, from the molecular study by Johansson et al. (2018) The blue-bellied roller is a large bird, nearly the size of a jackdaw at 28–30 cm (11–12 in). It has a very dark brown back, buffy or chalky white head, neck and... Wikipedia →
Recent sightings of Blue-bellied Roller in Niokolo-Koba National Park
LIVEiNaturalistClosest Relatives at Niokolo-Koba National Park
Abyssinian Roller
Coracias abyssinicus
Rufous-crowned Roller
Coracias naevius
European Roller
Coracias garrulus
Broad-billed Roller
Eurystomus glaucurus
Red-throated Bee-eater
Merops bulocki
Pied Kingfisher
Ceryle rudis
Blue-breasted Kingfisher
Halcyon malimbica
Giant Kingfisher
Megaceryle maxima
Gray-headed Kingfisher
Halcyon leucocephala
Little Bee-eater
Merops pusillus
Northern Carmine Bee-eater
Merops nubicus
Malachite Kingfisher
Corythornis cristatus
Global Distribution
Warmer areas are where this animal is recorded most often.
Parks Where Found
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Niokolo-Koba National Park | 🇸🇳 Senegal |
More parks will be added in future updates.
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a Blue-bellied Roller in Niokolo-Koba National Park?
About 20% of wildlife watchers report a Blue-bellied Roller sighting in Niokolo-Koba National Park, based on 86 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Blue-bellied Roller in Niokolo-Koba National Park?
October has the highest sighting rate for Blue-bellied Roller in Niokolo-Koba National Park in our monthly data.