Lilac-breasted Roller
Lilac-breasted RollerLilac-breasted RollerLilac-breasted RollerLilac-breasted Roller

Lilac-breasted Roller

Coracias caudatus

Least ConcernNear ThreatenedVulnerableEndangeredCritically Endangered
60–70% · Likely
overall probability at Lake Nakuru National Park
546 Verified records at Lake Nakuru National Park
August Best month highest sighting rate
☀️ Diurnal When it's active during daytime hours (6am–6pm)

The lilac-breasted roller (Coracias caudatus) is an African bird of the roller family, Coraciidae. It is widely distributed in Southern and Eastern Africa, and is a vagrant to the southern Arabian Peninsula. It prefers open woodland and savanna, and it is for the most part absent from treeless places. Usually found alone or in pairs, it perches at the tops of trees, poles or other high vantage points from where it can spot insects, amphibians and small birds moving about on the ground. Nesting takes place in a natural hole in a tree where a clutch of 2–4 eggs are laid, and incubated by both parents, who are extremely aggressive in defence of their nest, taking on raptors and other birds. During the breeding season the male will rise to a fair height (69 to 144 metres), descending in swoops and dives, while uttering harsh, discordant cries. Wikipedia →

60–70% of wildlife watchers report a Lilac-breasted Roller sighting in Lake Nakuru National Park, based on 546 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.

Closest Relatives at Lake Nakuru National Park

Rufous-crowned Roller
LC

Rufous-crowned Roller

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Coracias naevius

<5% · Rare
European Roller
LC

European Roller

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Coracias garrulus

<5% · Rare
Broad-billed Roller
LC

Broad-billed Roller

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Eurystomus glaucurus

<5% · Rare
Pied Kingfisher
LC

Pied Kingfisher

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Ceryle rudis

40–50% · Likely
White-fronted Bee-eater
LC

White-fronted Bee-eater

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Merops bullockoides

30–40% · Possible
Striped Kingfisher
LC

Striped Kingfisher

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Halcyon chelicuti

30–40% · Possible
Gray-headed Kingfisher
LC

Gray-headed Kingfisher

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Halcyon leucocephala

10–20% · With luck
Cinnamon-chested Bee-eater
LC

Cinnamon-chested Bee-eater

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Merops oreobates

10–20% · With luck
European Bee-eater
LC

European Bee-eater

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Merops apiaster

5–10% · With luck
Little Bee-eater
LC

Little Bee-eater

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Merops pusillus

<5% · Rare
Malachite Kingfisher
LC

Malachite Kingfisher

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Corythornis cristatus

<5% · Rare
Giant Kingfisher
LC

Giant Kingfisher

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Megaceryle maxima

<5% · Rare

📅 Monthly Probability

50–60
Jan
50–60
Feb
40–50
Mar
60–70
Apr
60–70
May
50–60
Jun
50–60
Jul
60–70
Aug
50–60
Sep
60–70
Oct
60–70
Nov
40–50
Dec

☀️ When They're Spotted

Most active during daytime hours (6am–6pm) · across all parks (global)

☀️Diurnal
☀️🌙🌙12am6am12pm6pm12am

Global Distribution

Where this species is recorded worldwide. Restricted to human observations from 2019 onwards — the same kind of record and the same period the probabilities on this page are built from, so collar-tracking studies, camera-trap arrays and museum specimens are excluded. Around Santa Rosa that removes 5,924 GPS fixes from a handful of tagged jaguars.

where this species is recorded (GBIF density — it tracks where observers go, not how likely a sighting is)  ·  parks where it occurs — tap a pin for the sighting probability there

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Probability
1 Tarangire National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
80–90%
2 Moremi Game Reserve 🇧🇼 Botswana
70–80%
3 Liwonde National Park 🇲🇼 Malawi
70–80%
4 Hwange National Park 🇿🇼 Zimbabwe
70–80%
5 Meru National Park 🇰🇪 Kenya
60–70%
6 Gonarezhou National Park 🇿🇼 Zimbabwe
60–70%
7 Serengeti National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
60–70%
8 Kruger National Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
60–70%
9 Lake Nakuru National Park 🇰🇪 Kenya
60–70%
10 Akagera National Park 🇷🇼 Rwanda
50–60%
11 Lower Zambezi National Park 🇿🇲 Zambia
50–60%
12 Mana Pools National Park 🇿🇼 Zimbabwe
50–60%
13 Chobe National Park 🇧🇼 Botswana
50–60%
14 Masai Mara National Reserve 🇰🇪 Kenya
50–60%
15 South Luangwa National Park 🇿🇲 Zambia
50–60%
16 Ruaha National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
50–60%
17 Samburu National Reserve 🇰🇪 Kenya
50–60%
18 Mikumi National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
40–50%
19 Amboseli National Park 🇰🇪 Kenya
40–50%
20 Lake Mburo National Park 🇺🇬 Uganda
40–50%
21 Tsavo West National Park 🇰🇪 Kenya
40–50%
22 Kafue National Park 🇿🇲 Zambia
30–40%
23 Pilanesberg National Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
30–40%
24 Mkomazi National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
30–40%
25 Gorongosa National Park 🇲🇿 Mozambique
30–40%
26 Ngorongoro Conservation Area 🇹🇿 Tanzania
20–30%
27 Tsavo East National Park 🇰🇪 Kenya
20–30%
28 Etosha National Park 🇳🇦 Namibia
20–30%
29 Selous Game Reserve 🇹🇿 Tanzania
20–30%
30 Lake Manyara National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
20–30%
31 Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
20–30%
32 Awash National Park 🇪🇹 Ethiopia
10–20%
33 Waterberg Plateau Park 🇳🇦 Namibia
10–20%
34 Nairobi National Park 🇰🇪 Kenya
5–10%
35 Arusha National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
<5%
36 Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
<5%
37 iSimangaliso Wetland Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
<5%
38 Aberdare National Park 🇰🇪 Kenya
<5%
39 Kidepo Valley National Park 🇺🇬 Uganda
<5%
40 Murchison Falls National Park 🇺🇬 Uganda
<5%
41 Virunga National Park 🇨🇩 Democratic Republic of the Congo
<5%
42 Addo Elephant National Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
Insufficient data
43 Semuliki National Park 🇺🇬 Uganda
Insufficient data
44 Namib-Naukluft National Park 🇳🇦 Namibia
Insufficient data
45 Queen Elizabeth National Park 🇺🇬 Uganda
Insufficient data
46 Nyungwe National Park 🇷🇼 Rwanda
Insufficient data
47 Bwindi Impenetrable National Park 🇺🇬 Uganda
Insufficient data
48 Kibale National Park 🇺🇬 Uganda
Insufficient data

Quick answers

What are the chances of seeing a Lilac-breasted Roller in Lake Nakuru National Park?

About 60% of wildlife watchers report a Lilac-breasted Roller sighting in Lake Nakuru National Park, based on 546 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.

When is the best time to see Lilac-breasted Roller in Lake Nakuru National Park?

August has the highest sighting rate for Lilac-breasted Roller in Lake Nakuru National Park in our monthly data.

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