The Indochinese roller (Coracias affinis) or Burmese roller, is a member of the roller bird family. It occurs widely from eastern India to Myanmar and Southeast Asia. It is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.
It is a stocky bird. The crown and vent are blue. The primaries are de ep purplish blue with a band of pale blue. The tail is sky blue with a terminal band of Prussian blue and the central feathers are dull green. The neck and throat are purplish lilac with white shaft streaks. The bare patch around the eye is ochre in colour. The three forward toes are united at the base. Rollers have a long and compressed bill with a curved upper edge and a hooked tip. The nostril is long and exposed and there are long rictal bristles at the base of the bill. It has a purplish brown and unstreaked face and breast. It has underwing coverts in a deep shade of blue.
However, information on Indochinese Rollers detailed global population is currently unavailable. Sachin Ranade, assistant director of BNHS, stated: “This groundbreaking research on the Indochinese Roller covers crucial aspects, revealing their resilience and reduced vulnerability to harm. Formerly confined to one country under the name ‘Indian Roller,’ they have been renamed ‘Indochinese Roller’ to reflect their global presence. The bird’s ‘unstreaked smoky-purplish brown face and breast’ serve as distinguishing features from the Indian Roller, marking a significant evolution in our understanding of this captivating species.”