A preliminary observation on the nesting of the Indochinese Roller Coracias affinis Horsfield, 1840 (Aves: Coraciiformes: Coraciidae) in Assam and northern West Bengal, India

Abstract

The nesting of Indochinese Roller was observed in Rani, Kamrup, Assam for 49 days in April–May 2022. The male was noted hunting more frequently compared to the female, but its prey items consisted of smaller biomass than those the female hunted. Opportunistically, more nests were recorded at Buxa Tiger Reserve, West Bengal and Kaziranga National Park, Assam. The preferred tree species for nesting were Sal Shorea robusta, Mynah Tetrameles nudiflora, and Koroi Albizia procera; the preferred nest height was 9.2 m.