The Lilac-breasted roller

There are pretty birds and then there are pretty birds. These birds are some of the prettiest you’ll ever see.

With lovely lilac-colored feathers, the lilac-breasted roller seems straight out of a fairytale.

Found in Africa and in the Arabian Peninsula, these birds love the open woodlands--the better to stretch their beautiful wings and find prey.

These birds dine on insects, lizards, scorpions, snails, small birds and other rodents they can spot on the ground.

Don’t even bother to try stealing their eggs. Parent birds are fiercely defensive of their young and will fight off any attempts to reach their nests.

You’ll know if such a bird is nearby because of the loud call they make while trying to woo a mate.

Despite the bright, attractive plumage the birds are not yet in danger of extinction.