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weekly photo: lilac breasted roller
February 18, 2011

Lilac breasted roller

Lilac breasted roller

We first saw a lilac breasted roller at Kruger National Park in South Africa.  I was enamored by its colors: the lilac that coated its throat and its underside, the turquoise on its neck and stomach, and the navy blue on its tailfeathers.  We saw them at Etosha, Addo, and many of the other game reserves, and they are even the national bird of Botswana.  Yet, I never tired of seeing them flying outstretched through the air, the rainbow on their wings.

* The Weekly Photo is an ongoing series where we post one of our favorite photos every Friday.  Join in the fun at Photo Fridays at DeliciousBaby.


the butt shot

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yawning hippos
none
28
02/18/2011 07:16
Denise
wow! Amazing picture. The feathers look so soft and the background is so delicately blurred!
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02/18/2011 15:41
Akila
Thank you Denise!
Akila's recent blog post: weekly photo: lilac breasted roller
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02/18/2011 08:10
Amy
That's a great photo and a seriously beautiful bird. Normally I'm all eh about birds, but that bird? Fabulous.
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02/18/2011 15:43
Akila
Amy, thank you! We're not bird people but this one took my breath away.
Akila's recent blog post: weekly photo: lilac breasted roller
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02/18/2011 10:58
JoAnna
Fantastic photo! I'm really, really impressed. How did you manage to get that shot?
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02/18/2011 15:52
Akila
JoAnna, Thank you! We got really lucky that the bird sat VERY still right in front of us for several minutes and Patrick had his long lens ready to go. He snapped 5 pictures and this one was just perfect.
Akila's recent blog post: weekly photo: lilac breasted roller
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02/18/2011 11:09
Leigh
I first saw one in Namibia. It's one of those birds you never get tired of seeing.Amazing photo.
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02/18/2011 15:52
Akila
Absolutely, Leigh! Every time I saw it, I wanted to find another one just like it. Love how beautiful they are.
Akila's recent blog post: weekly photo: lilac breasted roller
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02/18/2011 13:53
Charu
What a swell shot! I've been to Kruger and we spent the time hunting for the big five...so glad you captured such a gem.
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02/18/2011 15:54
Akila
Charu, thank you! We did enjoy seeing the Big 5 at Kruger but loved seeing all the other lesser-known animals, as well. Kruger's amazing, isn't it?
Akila's recent blog post: weekly photo: lilac breasted roller
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02/18/2011 19:48
Lakshmi Sankar
Awesome picture, Akila. Absolutely breathtaking! Love, Mom
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02/21/2011 10:56
Akila
Thank you Mom! I thought you would like this one. :)
Akila's recent blog post: weekly photo: lilac breasted roller
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02/18/2011 20:04
Shannon O'Donnell
What a stunning bird, wow wow wow! It looks tiny too, to contain such a riot of colors.
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02/21/2011 10:58
Akila
Thank you Shannon! It was tiny actually - no bigger than a plump robin. We wished we had been able to get a picture of it taking flight because it has a lilac underside, too!
Akila's recent blog post: weekly photo: lilac breasted roller
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02/18/2011 22:45
Natalie
A beautiful bird but I have a soft spot for them anyway.
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02/21/2011 10:57
Akila
Natalie - Thank you! We were thrilled to see it close up.
Akila's recent blog post: weekly photo: lilac breasted roller
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02/19/2011 08:44
Andi of My Beautiful Adventures
Is it bad that I want to capture that bird and put him in a gorgeous bird cage in my house? Haha, j/k! But well the colors of his feathers are insanely gorgeous. WOW!!!
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02/21/2011 10:58
Akila
Andi - I don't think it is bad at all! I totally have feather envy from this bird. :)
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02/20/2011 18:35
Gray
Terrific shot! What a beautiful bird.
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02/21/2011 12:04
Akila
Thank you Gray!
Akila's recent blog post: weekly photo: lilac breasted roller
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02/20/2011 20:28
Kyle
What lens are using here? Great close up!
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02/21/2011 12:22
Akila
Kyle - Thank you! We were using our Sigma 120-400 mm lens, which we used almost exclusively when we were on safari because the animals were always quite far away from us.
Akila's recent blog post: weekly photo: lilac breasted roller
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02/21/2011 20:02
Corinne @ Degustinations
Wow... stunning colours on that bird. And what a great shot with that depth of field!
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02/22/2011 11:16
Akila
Thank you so much Corinne!
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02/24/2011 04:57
Andrea
So pretty!
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02/24/2011 10:23
Akila
Thanks Andrea!
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08/03/2011 19:55
Jim Anderson
My best pic out of 1200 last month in Africa was the same bird with a grasshopper ready to go down his throat. How can I share it with you?
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08/04/2011 12:23
Akila
Jim - I'd love to see it. You can email it to me at theroadforks [at] gmail [dot] com.
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