One of the 2 rollers on WAnimals
Birds · Coraciiformes · Brachypteraciidae
Pitta-like Ground-Roller
Atelornis pittoides
The species is abundant and widely distributed; it faces no significant short-term risk. See full glossary
The pitta-like ground-roller is a ground bird of the rainforests of Madagascar, with an iridescent green back, a white breast with a black collar and a striking bright blue eyebrow. It walks and hops through the leaf litter searching for invertebrates and small amphibians, and digs its nest in an earth bank. It belongs to the Brachypteraciidae, a family endemic to the island with only five living species.
Weight
60 g – 90 g
Size
26 cm – 30 cm
Lifespan
10 years
Diet
Insectivore
Feeds mainly on insects and other invertebrates.
Activity
Diurnal
Active mainly during the day.
Social structure
In pairs
Usually lives in pairs, sometimes for life.
Sighting difficulty
Easy
Fun facts
- It belongs to a bird family that exists only in Madagascar: the ground-rollers are five species endemic to the island, all tied to the forest floor, representing a lineage isolated from the rest of the world's rollers.
- It is one of the few in its family that survives in secondary forest and degraded fragments, which is why it is the only one not listed among the threatened species.
Life cycle & biology
- Skeleton type
- Vertebrate - internal bony skeleton (bird)
- Habitat & environment
- Ground and leaf litter of the rainforests of eastern Madagascar
- Sexual maturity
- 12 months
- Gestation / incubation
- 20 days of incubation
- Litter / clutch size
- 3 eggs
Sources consulted: https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atelornis_pittoides
Where to watch it
Parks and dive sites where this species has been documented.
Related species
Other species in the catalogue with the most in common with Pitta-like Ground-Roller — same habitat, park, country, tags or family.
Brown Mesite
Mesitornis unicolor
Panther Chameleon
Furcifer pardalis
Madagascar Day Gecko
Phelsuma madagascariensis
Golden Mantella
Mantella aurantiaca
Common Flat-tail Gecko
Uroplatus fimbriatus
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Based on what we already know about pitta-like ground-roller.
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