Alternative names: Azure Dollarbird; Purple Roller
- Eurystomus azureus
Identification
27-35cm
- overall dark glossy purple-blue
- wing patches pale azure
- bill deep scarlet. Very broad at base
- legs dark red
- orbital ring dark red
Similar species
Dollarbird has lighter, green-tinged rather than inky-purple plumage.
Distribution
Endemic to the Northern Moluccas: Halmahera, Ternate, Tidore, Kasiruta and Bacan (Indonesia).
An uncommon restricted-range species that favours primary lowland rainforest.
Taxonomy
The species is monotypic. Despite its distinctive plumage, molecular evidence suggests that this taxon nests within Dollarbird [4]—which itself contains some very divergent lineages. This implies splitting the latter if the present taxon is maintained as a species.
Eurystomus azureus was split from Dollarbird.
Habitat
Found in primary and selectively logged forest, at forest edges and in clearings.
Recorded from lowlands up to 600m.
Behaviour
Feeds on insects, hunting them in the same manner like Dollarbird.
No information on breeding.
References
- Del Hoyo, J, A Elliot, and J Sargatal, eds. 2001. Handbook of the Birds of the World. Volume 6: Mousebirds to Hornbills. Barcelona: Lynx Edicions. ISBN 978-8487334306
- Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, B.L. Sullivan, C. L. Wood, and D. Roberson. 2012. The eBird/Clements Checklist of Birds of the World. 6th ed., with updates to October 2012. Ithaca: Cornell Univ. Press. ISBN 978-0801445019. Spreadsheet available at http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/downloadable-clements-checklist
- Gill, F and D Donsker (Eds). 2012. IOC World Bird Names (version 3.2). Available at http://www.worldbirdnames.org/.
- Johansson, U. S., Irestedt, M, Qu, Y and P. G. P. Ericson. 2018. Phylogenetic relationships of rollers (Coraciidae) based on complete mitochondrial genomes and fifteen nuclear genes. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. Volume 126: 17-22. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ympev.2018.03.030
Recommended Citation
- BirdForum Opus contributors. (2024) Azure Roller. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 1 June 2024 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Azure_Roller
External Links
GSearch checked for 2020 platform.
