Racket-Tailed Roller

[Ken Watkins]

This time I think the identification is OK, as I checked it against Albert Froneman's images in Complete Photographic Field Guide Birds of Southern Africa.

Taken in Mana Pools, Zimbabwe, unfortunately no off -roading so I could not get very close and my guide was to be polite totally useless, hence the absence of the racket tail, next time?

Now for a Broad Billed?

EOS 1D MkIV

500mm F4 IS +1.4x MkII hand held

F8, ISO 800, 1/320, EV +1.33

[Mital Patel]

Ken,

This is killer image and that fur feeling is just amazing on entire body of roller.

Bummer on the branch going straight to the breast of roller but against the IQ and the cuteness of the roller it doesn't bother me .

[Mark Itol]

Great shot of such a beautiful bird. Nice detail and background. I like the the perch as it gives a more "natural state of things" feeling to the image. I might put more space below and remove some from above.

[Daniel Cadieux]

At first I thought that branch was sticking in to the breast, but I see that it is the breast feathers overlapping it. Pretty neat. Good IQ. I wouldn't mind the face area a bit better lit, and with the catchlight whiter. I'd eliminate the small white speck on the bill.

[Chris Kotze]

Lovely soft colours and excellent IQ. Great image and pose

[Stu Bowie]

I havent seen this particular species of roller before Ken. Colours look good, and I like how the beak follows the line of the perch. Cool BG colours too.

[RAM MALLYA]

Awesome bird , perch and BG

[RakeshDhareshwar]

Wonderful IQ here !! The colours have come out brilliantly .

[Harshad Barve]

I liked the design , BG ad techs here Ken , excellent image
ID is spot on , This is southern African race ( Coracias spatulatus ) IMHO as central African race of this bird has Lilac breast and face
TFS

[Ken Watkins]

Harshad,

Not to sure abot the above, there are as far as I am aware 5 species of Roller in Southern Africa

Broad Billed (Migrant)

European (Migrant)

Lilac Breasted

Purple

Racket Tailed


Still need a reasonable Broad Billed, but extremely difficult as they are usually to be found high up in dense foliage.

The book I mentioned above has two remarkable images of this species by who else but Alfred Froneman, he is the only person I know with decent images, one day?

[Harshad Barve]

Harshad,

Not to sure about the above, there are as far as I am aware 5 species of Roller in Southern Africa


Racket Tailed

This is indeed Racket tailed Roller but Southern African race ( Coracias spatulatus )