Indian roller also popularly known as Blue Jay, is one of the most colourful birds of India whose colours are visible during flight. Found across the plains in India, it is the state bird of three Indian States, Telangana, Karnataka and Odisha.
The bird gets its name from the wonderful acrobatics the male displays during the breeding season. It is often seen perched along roadside trees and wires and is commonly seen in open grassland and scrub forest habitats.
The Indian Roller is also associated with Hindu legends and is considered auspicious. A local Hindi name of this bird is Neelkanth, meaning “blue throat”; this name is associated with the deity Shiva (who drank poison resulting in the blue throat). It is believed that Lord Rama spotted this bird as he embarked upon his journey to kill Ravana and hence is considered auspicious.
Most rollers are a combination of blue and brown in colour. They fly straight up into the air, fold their wings and fall freely towards the ground; they then roll over and fly up again! They eat insects while they are in flight and often perch on a branch waiting for prey to go by.
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