# Indian roller (*Coracias benghalensis*)

Canonical page: https://creaturedata.com/animals/indian-roller  
Data as of: 2026-11-11

The Indian roller (Coracias benghalensis) is a bird of the family Coraciidae in the order Coraciiformes. It is a small bird with an adult body mass from 145 to 171 g, with a representative value of 157.5 g. It is listed as Near Threatened on the IUCN Red List, which is not an IUCN threatened category, and its geographic range covers 3,925,000 km².

## Quick facts

| Fact | Value |
|---|---|
| Weight | 145 g – 171 g |
| Length | 30 cm – 34 cm |
| Wingspan | 65 cm – 74 cm |
| Lifespan | 8.9 years |
| Diet | Omnivore |
| Main food | arthropods |
| Habitat | human_modified |
| Egg incubation | 18 days |
| Young per litter or clutch | 3.9 – 4 |
| Reproduction | Eggs |
| Lifestyle | Perching |
| Migration | Partial |
| Conservation status | Near Threatened (IUCN) |
| Countries on record | Not recorded |

## Classification

- kingdom: Animalia
- phylum: Chordata
- class: Aves
- order: Coraciiformes
- family: Coraciidae
- genus: Coracias
- species: *Coracias benghalensis* (Linnaeus, 1758)

## Common questions

### What kind of animal is the Indian roller?

The Indian roller is a bird of the family Coraciidae in the order Coraciiformes.

### How much does the Indian roller weigh?

Adult Indian rollers weigh from 145 to 171 g, with a representative value of 157.5 g.

### What does the Indian roller eat?

The Indian roller is classed as an omnivore by diet category, with a trophic level of carnivore.

### Is the Indian roller endangered?

No, it is listed as Near Threatened on the IUCN Red List, which is not an IUCN threatened category.

### How long does the Indian roller live?

Sources give a lifespan of 8.9 years for the Indian roller.

### How many eggs does the Indian roller lay?

The Indian roller lays a clutch of 4 eggs, which are incubated for 18 days.

### Does the Indian roller migrate?

Yes, the Indian roller is partially migratory.

### Who named the Indian roller?

The Indian roller was named Coracias benghalensis by Linnaeus in 1758, written as (Linnaeus, 1758).

## Sources

- [An amniote life-history database to perform comparative analyses with birds, mammals, and reptiles](https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.3563457.v1), CC0 1.0, E096-269. Myhrvold, N.P., Baldridge, E., Chan, B., Sivam, D., Freeman, D.L. & Ernest, S.K.M. (2015) An amniote life-history database to perform comparative analyses with birds, mammals, and reptiles. Ecology 96: 3109. https://doi.org/10.1890/15-0846R.1. Data: https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.3563457.v1
- [AVONET: morphological, ecological and geographical data for all birds](https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.16586228.v7), CC BY 4.0, v7. Tobias, J.A. et al. (2022) AVONET: morphological, ecological and geographical data for all birds. Ecology Letters 25: 581–597. https://doi.org/10.1111/ele.13898. Data: https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.16586228.v7
- [Catalogue of Life eXtended Release](https://www.checklistbank.org/dataset/316691), CC BY 4.0, 2026-10-16 XR. Catalogue of Life (2026). Catalogue of Life eXtended Release, version 2026-10-16 XR. Catalogue of Life Foundation, Amsterdam, Netherlands. https://doi.org/10.48580/dgzlf
- [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org), per file (CC0 / public domain / CC BY green, CC BY-SA amber, anything else not displayed), 2026-11-11. Wikimedia Commons contributors. Wikimedia Commons. https://commons.wikimedia.org (each file credited to its author under its own licence).
- [Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org), CC0 1.0, 2026-11-11. Wikidata contributors. Wikidata. https://www.wikidata.org (data retrieved via the Wikidata Query Service).
- [Wikipedia (English)](https://en.wikipedia.org), CC BY-SA 4.0, 2026-11-11. Wikipedia contributors. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. https://en.wikipedia.org (text under CC BY-SA 4.0; each block names its article and revision).

Cite as: Indian roller (Coracias benghalensis). Retrieved from https://creaturedata.com/animals/indian-roller