My oldest child, a senior at the high school where I teach, sent me an email this afternoon asking me if she could get a bird, this bird in particular:
![[Lilac-breasted Roller]](http://cowpi.com/journal/media/2004/bird_lilac-breasted-roller.jpg "Bird species Lilac-breasted Roller")
My first reaction was that the photo was a fake. But no, it is a real bird (although this one is a little more plump than most). It is called a Liliac-breasted Roller (Coracias caudata). It is native to mid-to-southern Africa. It is the national bird of Zimbabwe.
What a beautiful bird!