Bird Album
Cuckoo-roller
Leptosomus discolor (Hermann, 1783)
40–50 cmLength255 gWeight
The cuckoo-roller or courol (Leptosomus discolor) is the only bird in the family Leptosomidae, which was previously often placed in the order Coraciiformes but is now placed in its own order Leptosomiformes.
Busiest months: November · Most records: Madagascar, Mayotte, Comoros
Where and when it's recorded
Busiest months: November · Most records: Madagascar, Mayotte, Comoros
Cuckoo-roller has been recorded at 28 of the 8,276 birding hotspots we track, in 3 countries and regions.
Records by month Southern Hemisphere
Where it's recorded most
- Zombitse-Vohibasia NPMadagascar637 records
- Ranomafana NPMadagascar393 records
- Andasibe-Mantadia NPMadagascar363 records
More places
- Andasibe Mantadia National ParkMadagascar207 records
- Ankarafantsika NPMadagascar192 records
- Ranomafana NP—Sahamalaotra TrackMadagascar185 records
- PerinetMadagascar171 records
- Ankarafantsika – Circuit RetendrikaMadagascar170 records
- Ankarafantsika – Circuit CoquereliMadagascar151 records
- Ranomafana NP – VohipararaMadagascar139 records
Countries and regions with the most records
eBird records via GBIF up to 2024-12-31. A record means someone listed it; more records partly mean more birders, not more birds.
About
The cuckoo-roller or courol (Leptosomus discolor) is the only bird in the family Leptosomidae, which was previously often placed in the order Coraciiformes but is now placed in its own order Leptosomiformes. The cuckoo-roller is at the root of a group that contains the Trogoniformes, Bucerotiformes, Piciformes, and Coraciiformes. Despite its name, the cuckoo-roller does not share close evolutionary origins with cuckoos or rollers, although for long it was counted among the closer relatives of the latter.
Excerpt from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0 · authors · Read more on Wikipedia
Questions
How big is the Cuckoo-roller?
The Cuckoo-roller is about 40–50 cm long and weighs around 255 g.
Where does the Cuckoo-roller live?
Its breeding range: Africa: Comoros and Madagascar. It is most often recorded in Madagascar, Mayotte and Comoros.
When is the best time to see the Cuckoo-roller?
At the hotspots we track, it is recorded most in November (Southern Hemisphere).
Is the Cuckoo-roller endangered?
The IUCN Red List classifies the Cuckoo-roller as Least Concern.
What does the Cuckoo-roller eat?
Main food: Insects & other invertebrates.
What family is the Cuckoo-roller in?
It belongs to the family Cuckoo-roller (Leptosomidae), order Leptosomiformes.
At a glance
- Length
- 40–50 cm
- Weight
- 255 g
- Habitat
- Forest
- Diet
- Insects & other invertebrates
- Lifestyle
- Perches in trees
- Migration
- Resident (barely migrates)
- Conservation
- Least Concern
More measurements
- Wing
- 248 mm
- Tail
- 192 mm
- Bill
- 47 mm
- Tarsus
- 30 mm
Averages from the AVONET dataset; length from field guides where available.
Range
Africa: Comoros and Madagascar
Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2
Classification
- Order
- Leptosomiformes
- Family
- Cuckoo-roller Leptosomidae
- Genus
- Leptosomus
Download illustration
Free to use with credit: “Illustration: Bird Album (birdalbum.com)”. Drawn by AI from a reference photo by Max Omick. ↗
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