File:Male_cuckoo_roller.jpg · Wikimedia Commons · See Wikimedia Commons
Cuckoo-roller
Sign in to saveAlso known as Leptosomus discolor
The cuckoo-roller or courol (Leptosomus discolor) is the only bird in the family Leptosomidae , which was previously often placed in the order Coraciiformes but is now placed in its own order Leptosomiformes. The cuckoo-roller is at the root of a group that contains the Trogoniformes, Bucerotiformes, Piciformes, and Coraciiformes. Despite its name, the cuckoo-roller does not share close evolutionary origins with cuckoos or rollers.
OverviewAI-generated
The Cuckoo-roller, scientifically named *Leptosomus discolor*, is a species of bird within the class Aves. It belongs to the genus *Leptosomus* and has been described in the Brockhaus and Efron Encyclopedic Dictionary. The species is also referred to by the common names Kuckucksroller, Carraca curol, and Courol vouroudriou.
This organism has a recorded mass of 255 and is native to Africa. Its current IUCN conservation status is Least Concern, a designation updated in 2025. The species has been documented in 216 observations on iNaturalist.
Synthesized by Vinony from 19 facts across 4 sources: Wikidata, iNaturalist, IUCN Red List, Vinony graph. Generated from structured data (not the Wikipedia text) and checked against those facts — may still contain errors.
Species
Least ConcernCuckoo-roller
species
via IUCN
~5 min read
Encyclopedic overview
8 sectionsContents
- Description
- Distribution and habitat
- Behaviour and ecology
- Status and conservation
- Relations with humans
- References
- Further reading
- External links
The cuckoo-roller or courol (Leptosomus discolor) is the only bird in the family Leptosomidae , which was previously often placed in the order Coraciiformes but is now placed in its own order Leptosomiformes. The cuckoo-roller is at the root of a group that contains the Trogoniformes, Bucerotiformes, Piciformes, and Coraciiformes. Despite its name, the cuckoo-roller does not share close evolutionary origins with cuckoos or rollers.
It is a medium-large bird, inhabiting forests and woodlands in Madagascar and the Comoro Islands. Three subspecies are described: the nominate L. d. discolor is found in Madagascar and Mayotte Island, L. d. intermedius on Anjouan, and L. d. gracilis of Grande Comore. Based on its smaller size, differences in the plumage, and minor difference in the voice, the last of these is sometimes considered a separate species, the Comoros cuckoo-roller (L. gracilis).
Excerpted from Wikipedia’s “Cuckoo-roller” article, available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.