Cuckoo-roller
Leptosomus discolor
- Family
- Cuckoo-roller (Leptosomidae)
- Order
- Leptosomiformes
Overview
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, although for long it was counted among the closer relatives of the latter.
It is a medium-large bird, inhabiting forests and woodlands in Madagascar and the Comoro Islands.
Summary from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Range and habitat
Continents
Countries
Sources and further reading
- Wikipedia: Cuckoo-roller
- eBird: sightings, maps and photos
- xeno-canto: sound recordings
- Birds of the World: full species account (subscription)
- BirdLife DataZone: status and threats
- IUCN Red List (threat status)
- AviList global checklist (taxonomy)
Last updated September 29, 2026.
