Raquet-tailed Roller
Coracias spatulatus
Silhouette: Ferran Sayol · PhyloPic
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Chordates)
- ClassAves (Birds)
- OrderCoraciiformes (Rollers, Kingfishers, and Allies)
- FamilyCoraciidae (Rollers)
- GenusCoracias (Typical Rollers)
- SpeciesCoracias spatulatus (Raquet-tailed Roller)
About the Raquet-tailed Roller
The racket-tailed roller (Coracias spatulatus) is a species of bird in the family Coraciidae. It is found in southern Africa from Angola, south-eastern Democratic Republic of Congo and southern Tanzania to northern Botswana, Zimbabwe, Malawi and Mozambique.
The racket-tailed roller was formally described in 1880 by the naturalist Roland Trimen under its current binomial name Coracias spatulatus from a specimen collected near the Zambezi River in southern Africa. The specific epithet spatulatus is Modern Latin meaning "spatulate" or "spoon-shaped". The species is monotypic: no subspecies are recognised. A molecular phylogenetic study published in 2018 found that the racket-tailed roller was most closely related to the purple roller (Coracias naevius).
The phylogenetic relationships among the Coracias species are shown below, from the molecular study by Johansson et al. (2018) Alternate names for the racket-tailed roller include the Angola racket-tailed roller and Weigall's roller. The racket-tailed roller is so named for the conspicuous elongated outer feathers on its tail which have long streamers ending in paddle-shaped tips. The bird... Wikipedia →
Recent sightings of Raquet-tailed Roller in South Luangwa National Park
LIVEiNaturalistClosest Relatives at South Luangwa National Park
Lilac-breasted Roller
Coracias caudatus
European Roller
Coracias garrulus
Broad-billed Roller
Eurystomus glaucurus
Little Bee-eater
Merops pusillus
White-fronted Bee-eater
Merops bullockoides
Pied Kingfisher
Ceryle rudis
Brown-hooded Kingfisher
Halcyon albiventris
Southern Carmine Bee-eater
Merops nubicoides
Woodland Kingfisher
Halcyon senegalensis
Giant Kingfisher
Megaceryle maxima
Malachite Kingfisher
Corythornis cristatus
Gray-headed Kingfisher
Halcyon leucocephala
Global Distribution
Warmer areas are where this animal is recorded most often.
Parks Where Found
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mikumi National Park | 🇹🇿 Tanzania | |
| 2 | Hwange National Park | 🇿🇼 Zimbabwe | |
| 3 | Liwonde National Park | 🇲🇼 Malawi | |
| 4 | Kafue National Park | 🇿🇲 Zambia | |
| 5 | Mana Pools National Park | 🇿🇼 Zimbabwe | |
| 6 | South Luangwa National Park | 🇿🇲 Zambia | |
| 7 | Ruaha National Park | 🇹🇿 Tanzania | |
| 8 | Chobe National Park | 🇧🇼 Botswana | |
| 9 | Kruger National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 10 | Gonarezhou National Park | 🇿🇼 Zimbabwe | |
| 11 | Lower Zambezi National Park | 🇿🇲 Zambia | |
| 12 | Gorongosa National Park | 🇲🇿 Mozambique | |
| 13 | Moremi Game Reserve | 🇧🇼 Botswana |
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a Raquet-tailed Roller in South Luangwa National Park?
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Raquet-tailed Roller sighting in South Luangwa National Park, based on 17 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Raquet-tailed Roller in South Luangwa National Park?
February has the highest sighting rate for Raquet-tailed Roller in South Luangwa National Park in our monthly data.