- Leptosomus discolor
Identification
38-50cm (15-19¾ in)
Male
- Iridescent dark green back, tail and wing coverts
- Grey chest and head
- White underparts
- Black crown
- Black eyestripe
Female
- Brown above
- Pale below with dark spots
Distribution
Madagascar and Comoro Islands.
Taxonomy
Subspecies
There are 3 subspecies[1]:
- L. d. gracilis:
- Grand Comoro Island (Comoro Islands)
- L. d. intermedius:
- Anjouan Island (Comoro Islands)
- L. d. discolor:
- Moheli, Mayotte and Madagascar
Habitat
Woodland and forest.
Behaviour
Diet
The diet includes insects, locusts, caterpillars, grasshoppers, cicadas, stick insects and geckos.
Breeding
They nest in natural cavities in tall trees. The 4 white eggs are incubated by the female for 20 days. The young fledge about 30 days later.
References
- Clements, JF. 2011. The Clements Checklist of Birds of the World. 6th ed., with updates to August 2011. Ithaca: Cornell Univ. Press. ISBN 978-0801445019. Spreadsheet available at http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/downloadable-clements-checklist
- Avibase
- Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive (retrieved September 2016)
- Wikipedia
Recommended Citation
- BirdForum Opus contributors. (2024) Cuckoo Roller. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 3 December 2024 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Cuckoo_Roller
