Indian Roller

This delightful bird is a collage of colours. The bird is of a striking blue color with a rufous brown breast and a pail blue abdomen and under tail. But the magnificence of its colours is best exhibited in flight when the dark and light portions show up as brilliant bands on the wings.
It is likely that the beauty of the bird is what inspired the Hindu belief according to which Vishnu (the Preserver of the universe) had once assumed the form of the Blue Jay thus making it sacred.
It is caught by some communities in western India only to be released on the festive occasion of Dussehra and at Durga Puja (see Fairs and Festivals). Another reason why the bird is dear to the human inhabitants of its habitat is because it has served them well as an effective pest controller, ridding the agricultural fields of a variety of injurious insects which form a part of its diet other than frogs and lizards.


¤ Easily Traceable

It is found in the subcontinent from the foothills of the Himalayas down to the south in Sri Lanka and from Pakistan to Myanmar in the open country and light deciduous forest patches. This roller makes a variety of loud jarring noises and indulges in a spectacular courtship display which involves a lot of acrobatic stunts like nose-diving and somersaulting in air.