Short-legged Ground-Roller (Brachypteracias leptosomus)

The least terrestrial of the ground roller species, the short-legged ground roller spends the majority of its time perched on branches 2 to15 metres above ground searching for prey (3), 90 percent of which is invertebrates. The remaining ten percent is made up of small vertebrates, such as frogs, geckos, lizards and snakes (2). Nesting in tree cavities and the root masses of epiphytes, the short-legged ground roller re-nests rapidly after natural nest failure. Pairs occupy neighbouring territories in suitable habitat, with the home range of one pair found to be 19 hectares (3). Observation of one pair of short-legged ground rollers found the nesting period to be around 30 days (5).

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