This bird, a Long-tailed ground-roller, stands in a typical position, perfectly still. This is its most common hunting method, to wait and catch insects that happen to pass by. But the bird also uses this mode when a human approaches. It stands completely still until the danger is over, or runs away if it becomes too threatened. The alternative hunting method is reminiscent of blackbirds, uprooting leaves from the ground and looking for insects and other small animals. The bird's body measures only 17 cm while the long tail can be up to 30 cm long on the male during the mating season. Like its relatives the bee-eaters, it digs a tunnel in the sandy soil and prepares its nest at the far end of the tunnel. Both sexes help in digging.