Blue-bellied Roller

The Blue-bellied Roller is a striking bird native a narrow corridor just north of the equator across central Africa. This bird belongs to the roller family (Coraciidae), renowned for their acrobatic courtship flight displays where a pair will fly in loops around each other as if they are on opposite sides of an invisible Ferris wheel. Blue-bellied rollers are often seen perched quietly on branches, occasionally sallying out to catch insects in mid-air or on the ground. They inhabit forest edges, open woodlands, and cultivated areas and are sill common within their wild range. They make stunning additions to large planted aviaries where they should be fed a carnivorous diet including frozen/thawed pinky mice, insect feeders, such as superworms, crickets, and roaches. Moist cat food can round out the diet as well. Blue-bellied Rollers will often learn to catch insect food tossed into the air for them.