The lilac-breasted roller, or kambu in Swahili, is a colorful bird found in Eastern and Southern Africa. It has around eight colors: white, black, green, yellow, reddish-brown, dark blue, turquoise, and lilac.
In some African folklore, the Lilac-breasted roller is considered a symbol of peace
It is known as Kenya’s national bird because of its vibrant colors. The colors are meant to represent the unity of the many tribes that make up the community of Kenya.
Lilac-breasted rollers are clever hunters who will purposely hunt recently burned farmland to search for bugs that have been pushed out of the undergrowth.
Despite their small size, they are very aggressive when defending their nests and will take on larger birds like raptors. One of their hunting styles is to beat prey with their wings until they’re knocked out—and then they eat them.
