Abyssinian Roller Coracias abyssinicus
Awash Falls National Park, Ethiopia
23 January 2014
Rollers as a group are nothing short of spectacular, but I am inclined to think that the Abyssinian Roller is perhaps the most stunning of all. Whenever I saw one with the sun glistening off its plumage it simply took my breath away. In this area they were reasonably common so we had lots of opportunities to revel in their beauty.
Their usual habitat is dry woodland with well spaced trees, but they take readily to human settlements and are not particularly shy. They will nest on buildings and tolerate pets, humans and vehicles.
