Indian Roller or Blue Jay

Indian Roller or Blue Jay, with its Oxford and Cambridge blues!

Indian Roller (Coracious bengalensis) is also called Blue Jay and in Hindi, it is the Nilkanth. It is 13 inch long and is striking blue in colour. Indian Roller weighs around 80 -100 g. It's eyes and bill are black. It has a large head and short neck. Its crown, lower wings and tail are blue green in colour. The throat and upper breast are purple in colour. The back and abdomen are gray in colour. Males and females are similar in appearance. Indian Roller prefers open ground, cultivated fields, local parks and cities at lower elevation. Indian Roller is omnivorous. It mainly feeds on frogs. It also favours lizards, acorns, grasshoppers, crickets, Butterflies and moths. Incubation takes 18 -- 20 days. It lays 4- 5 eggs in the month of March or April. The longevity of Indian Roller exceeds up to 17 years of age.