Top 10 Most Colorful Animals In The World

9. Lilac Breasted Roller

Lilac breasted rollers are one brilliantly colored bird native to East-southern Africa. It is also the national bird of Kenya and Botswana. Their feathers come in a variety of colors. They have a greenish head, lilac colored throat and chest, blue belly, greenish yellow legs and light blue wings. Lilac breasted rollers have a maximum body length of 14 inches. This colorful species is an average migratory bird.

The lilac-breasted roller is an African member of the roller family of birds. It is widely distributed in sub-Saharan Africa and the southern Arabian Peninsula, preferring open woodland and savanna; it is largely absent from treeless places. Usually found alone or in pairs, it perches conspicuously at the tops of trees, poles or other high vantage points from where it can spot insects, lizards, scorpions, snails, small birds and rodents moving about at ground level. Nesting takes place in a natural hole in a tree where a clutch of 2–4 eggs is laid, and incubated by both parents, who are extremely aggressive in defence of their nest, taking on raptors and other birds. During the breeding season the male will rise to great heights, descending in swoops and dives, while uttering harsh, discordant cries.

The sexes are alike in coloration. Juveniles do not have the long tail feathers that adults do.

This species is the national bird of Kenya.