Short-legged ground roller facts for kids
The short-legged ground roller (Brachypteracias leptosomus) is a special kind of bird found only on the island of Madagascar. It's part of a bird family called ground rollers. This bird is the only living species in its group, called Brachypteracias. Sadly, it's in danger because its home is disappearing.
Quick facts for kids Short-legged ground roller |
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Brachypteracias
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| Species: |
leptosomus
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Contents
About the Short-legged Ground Roller
The short-legged ground roller is the only living bird in its group, called Brachypteracias. Scientists have found fossils of another bird from this group, but it's not alive today. This bird spends more time in trees than other ground rollers. Some scientists think it might be what the first ground rollers looked like.
For a while, another bird called the scaly ground roller was thought to be in the same group. But in 2001, scientists studied their DNA. They found that these two birds are not closely related at all. The study also showed that the short-legged ground roller is a very old type of bird in its family.
The name Brachypteracias comes from ancient Greek words. Brakhupteros means "short-winged." The species name leptosomus also comes from Greek. Leptos means "delicate," and sōma means "body."
Where it Lives
The short-legged ground roller lives only on the island of Madagascar. You can find it in the northern part of the island, all along the eastern coast, and down to the southern end.
Its natural home is in humid, wet forests that are close to the sea. It can live up to about 1,500 meters (4,900 feet) high, but it's more common in lower areas. It almost always lives in old, thick forests with big trees. It can also be found on hillsides with many young trees. This bird is rarely seen in forests that have been disturbed by people.
What it Looks Like
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The short-legged ground roller has a big head and a large beak. It also has a puffy throat. It's the biggest forest ground roller and looks stronger than other species, except for the scaly ground roller.
This bird is about 30 to 38 centimeters (12 to 15 inches) long. It weighs between 154 and 217 grams (5.4 to 7.7 ounces). In the few cases where male and female birds were weighed, the males were heavier. However, females are usually smaller in other ways. For example, their wing length is 138 to 143 millimeters (5.4 to 5.6 inches). Males have longer wings, from 140 to 152 millimeters (5.5 to 6.0 inches).
Even though its name says "short-legged," its legs are short for its family. But its wings are the longest of all ground rollers! This means it spends more time in trees. Still, it's not a very strong flyer. Like other birds in its family, its plumage (feathers) has colors and patterns that help it blend in with its surroundings. This is called being "cryptic."
How it Behaves
The short-legged ground roller is a very shy bird. Scientists haven't been able to study it much. Most of what we know about how it acts comes from watching just one pair of birds in Masoala National Park. Other things we know are from accidental sightings of other birds.
Why it Needs Our Help
The short-legged ground roller is thought to be somewhat common in its home. However, it is considered to be in danger of disappearing forever. This is because its home is being destroyed very quickly. People are cutting down and burning forests to make space for farming.
Its home is also threatened by climate change. Scientists have studied how climate change might affect its habitat. They predict that the bird could lose up to 62% of its current home. Sadly, this bird is also hunted by people.
