Ground-roller

Ground-roller

Taxobox
name = Ground Rollers
regnum = Animalia
phylum = Chordata
classis = Aves
ordo = Coraciiformes
familia = Brachypteraciidae
familia_authority = Bonaparte, 1854
subdivision_ranks = Genera
subdivision =
*"Brachypteracias"
*"Geobiastes"
*"Atelornis"
*"Uratelornis"
synonyms =
* Atelornithidae
Taxobox_authority | author = Chenu & Des Murs | date = 1852 ("nomen oblitum")

The ground-rollers are a small family of non-migratory near-passerine birds restricted to Madagascar. They are related to the kingfishers, bee-eaters and rollers. They most resemble the latter group, and are sometimes considered a sub-family of the true rollers.

Description

Ground-rollers share the generally crow-like size and build of the true rollers, ranging from 25-49 centimetres in lengthcite book |editor=Forshaw, Joseph|author= Forshaw, J. & Kemp, A.|year=1991|title=Encyclopaedia of Animals: Birds|publisher= Merehurst Press|location=London|pages= 147|isbn= 1-85391-186-0] , and also hunt reptiles and large insects. They are more terrestrial than the Coracidae species, and this is reflected in their longer legs and shorter, more rounded wings.

They lack the highly colourful appearance of the true rollers, and are duller in appearance, with striped or flecked plumage. They are much more elusive and shy than their relatives, and are normally difficult to find in the Malagasy forests. Often the hooting breeding call is all that betrays their presence.

These birds nest as solitary pairs in holes in the ground which they excavate themselves, unlike the true rollers, which rarely nest in ground holes and even then do not dig their own nests.

ystematics

mtDNA analyses confirmed the systematics of this group but indicated that merging "Geobiastes" into "Brachypteracias", as was usually done since the 1960s, should be reverted at least until a more comprehensive review (e.g. supported by fossils) is possible (Kirchman "et al.", 2001). There is presently no fossil record of ground-rollers; Eocene remains from Europe at first tentatively assigned to this family were later recognized as quite distinct (Mayr & Mourer-Chauviré 2000). Presently, there is no indication that ground-rollers ever occurred anywhere outside Madagascar (Mayr & Mourer-Chauviré, 2001).

pecies

There are five species in four genera:

FAMILY BRACHYPTERACIIDAE
* Genus "Brachypteracias"
** Short-legged Ground Roller, "Brachypteracias leptosomus "
* Genus "Geobiastes"
** Scaly Ground Roller, "Geobiastes squamiger"
* Genus "Uratelornis"
** Long-tailed Ground Roller, "Uratelornis chimaera "
* Genus "Atelornis"
** Pitta-like Ground Roller, "Atelornis pittoides "
** Rufous-headed Ground Roller, "Atelornis crossleyi "

References

* Kirchman, Jeremy J.; Hackett, Shannon J.; Goodman, Steven M. & Bates, John M. (2001): Phylogeny and systematics of ground rollers (Brachypteraciidae) of Madagascar, "Auk" 118(4): 849–863. DOI: 10.1642/0004-8038(2001)118 [0849:PASOGR] 2.0.CO;2 [http://www.bioone.org/perlserv/?request=get-abstract&doi=10.1642%2F0004-8038%282001%29118%5B0849%3APASOGR%5D2.0.CO%3B2 HTML abstract]

* Mayr, Gerald & Mourer-Chauviré, Cécile (2000): Rollers (Aves: Coraciiformes. s.s.) from the Middle Eocene of Messel (Germany) and the Upper Eocene of the Quercy (France). "J. Vertebr. Paleontol." 20(3): 533–546. DOI:10.1671/0272-4634(2000)020 [0533:RACSSF] 2.0.CO;2 [http://www.senckenberg.de/files/content/forschung/abteilung/terrzool/ornithologie/rollers.pdf PDF fulltext]

* Mayr, Gerald & Mourer-Chauviré, Cécile (2003): Phylogeny and fossil record of the Brachypteraciidae: A comment on Kirchman "et al." (2001). "Auk" 120(1): 202-203. DOI: 10.1642/0004-8038(2003)120 [0202:PAFROT] 2.0.CO;2 [http://www.senckenberg.de/files/content/forschung/abteilung/terrzool/ornithologie/brachypteraciidae.pdf PDF fulltext]

External links

* [http://ibc.hbw.com/ibc/phtml/familia.phtml?idFamilia=93 Ground-roller videos] on the Internet Bird Collection
* [http://montereybay.com/creagrus/ground-rollers.html Don Roberson's Bird Families of the World]


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Look at other dictionaries:

  • Ground roller — Roller Roll er, n. 1. One who, or that which, rolls; especially, a cylinder, sometimes grooved, of wood, stone, metal, etc., used in husbandry and the arts. [1913 Webster] 2. A bandage; a fillet; properly, a long and broad bandage used in surgery …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • ground roller — ▪ bird  any of five species of pigeon sized birds that comprise the family Brachypteracidae (order Coraciiformes) known for their tumbling flight. They are found only in Madagascar. Four species inhabit deep forest; one, the long tailed ground… …   Universalium

  • ground-roller — madagaskariniai žalvarniai statusas T sritis zoologija | vardynas atitikmenys: lot. Atelornis angl. ground roller vok. Erdracke, f rus. земляная ракша ателорнис, f pranc. brachyptérolle, m ryšiai: platesnis terminas – dirviniai žalvarniai… …   Paukščių pavadinimų žodynas

  • ground roller — noun Madagascan roller with terrestrial and crepuscular habits that feeds on e.g. insects and worms • Hypernyms: ↑roller * * * noun : any of certain Madagascan birds (family Coraciidae) of terrestrial and crepuscular habits frequenting forests… …   Useful english dictionary

  • Pitta-like Ground-roller — Taxobox name = Pitta like Ground roller status = LC | status system = IUCN3.1 regnum = Animalia phylum = Chordata classis = Aves ordo = Coraciiformes familia = Brachypteraciidae genus = Atelornis species = A. pittoides binomial = Atelornis… …   Wikipedia

  • Short-legged Ground-roller — Taxobox name = Short legged Ground roller status = VU | status system = IUCN3.1 regnum = Animalia phylum = Chordata classis = Aves ordo = Coraciiformes familia = Brachypteraciidae genus = Brachypteracias species = B. leptosomus binomial =… …   Wikipedia

  • Scaly Ground-roller — Taxobox name = Scaly Ground roller status = VU | status system = IUCN3.1 regnum = Animalia phylum = Chordata classis = Aves ordo = Coraciiformes familia = Brachypteraciidae genus = Brachypteracias species = B. squamiger binomial = Brachypteracias …   Wikipedia

  • Long-tailed Ground-roller — Taxobox name = Long tailed Ground roller status = VU | status system = IUCN3.1 regnum = Animalia phylum = Chordata classis = Aves ordo = Coraciiformes familia = Brachypteraciidae genus = Uratelornis genus authority = species = U. chimaera… …   Wikipedia

  • Rufous-headed Ground-roller — Taxobox name = Rufous headed Ground roller status = NT | status system = IUCN3.1 regnum = Animalia phylum = Chordata classis = Aves ordo = Coraciiformes familia = Brachypteraciidae genus = Atelornis species = A. crossleyi binomial = Atelornis… …   Wikipedia

  • rufous-headed ground-roller — Kroslio madagaskarinis žalvarnis statusas T sritis zoologija | vardynas atitikmenys: lot. Atelornis crossleyi angl. rufous headed ground roller vok. Lätzchenerdracke, f rus. кросслеева земляная ракша ателорнис, f pranc. brachyptérolle de Crossley …   Paukščių pavadinimų žodynas

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