Short-legged Ground-Roller

The short-legged ground roller has a large head and bill, and a puffy throat. It is the largest forest ground roller, and is stouter than the other species (except for the scaly ground roller). It measures 30 to 38 cm (12–15 in) in length, and weighs 154–217 g (5.4–7.7 oz). Where sexed individuals have been weighed, the males were heavier, but the sample size was small. Females are smaller in other body measurements, for example the wing chord length, which is 138 to 143 mm (5.4–5.6 in) in females compared to 140 to 152 mm (5.5–6.0 in) in males. As the name suggests, the legs are short for the family, but contrary to its generic name, the wings are the longest in the family, making this the most arboreal species, but it is still not a strong flier. Like the other members of the family, the plumage is cryptic.

The short-legged ground roller is endemic to Madagascar, where it is present in the northern part of the island through the eastern coast, to the southern end of the island. Its natural habitat is humid tropical moist lowland forests, from sea-level to 1,500 m (4,900 ft), although it is more common at lower altitudes. It is almost exclusively found in mature closed forest with large trees, but it can also be found on slopes with numerous saplings. It is rarely seen in disturbed forests.

The short-legged ground roller is a secretive species that has only been limitedly studied. Everything that is known about the behaviour of the species has come from a single systematic study of a single pair in Masoala National Park, and from incidental observations of other birds.