Rufous-crowned Roller
Coracias naevius
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Cordats)
- ClassAves (Aus)
- OrderCoraciiformes (Rollers, Kingfishers, and Allies)
- FamilyCoraciidae (Rollers)
- GenusCoracias (Typical Rollers)
- SpeciesCoracias naevius (Rufous-crowned Roller)
The name "purple roller" can also refer to the azure dollarbird (Eurystomus azureus) of Indonesia. The purple roller (Coracias naevius), or rufous-crowned roller, is a medium-sized bird widespread in sub-Saharan Africa. Compared with other rollers its colours are rather dull and its voice harsh and grating. Wikipedia →
<5% of wildlife watchers report a Rufous-crowned Roller sighting in Masai Mara National Reserve, based on 57 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.
Closest Relatives at Masai Mara National Reserve
Lilac-breasted Roller
Coracias caudatus
European Roller
Coracias garrulus
Broad-billed Roller
Eurystomus glaucurus
Little Bee-eater
Merops pusillus
Gray-headed Kingfisher
Halcyon leucocephala
Woodland Kingfisher
Halcyon senegalensis
Pied Kingfisher
Ceryle rudis
Striped Kingfisher
Halcyon chelicuti
Malachite Kingfisher
Corythornis cristatus
European Bee-eater
Merops apiaster
African Pygmy-Kingfisher
Ispidina picta
Cinnamon-chested Bee-eater
Merops oreobates
📅 Monthly Probability
☀️ When They're Spotted
Most active during daytime hours (6am–6pm) · across all parks (global)
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
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a Rufous-crowned Roller in Masai Mara National Reserve?
About 2% of wildlife watchers report a Rufous-crowned Roller sighting in Masai Mara National Reserve, based on 57 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Rufous-crowned Roller in Masai Mara National Reserve?
February has the highest sighting rate for Rufous-crowned Roller in Masai Mara National Reserve in our monthly data.