Very few studies have investigated the breeding biology of the Cuckoo Roller.

Unlike the true rollers and ground rollers, where the sexes have identical appearance, the Cuckoo Roller is sexually dichromatic.

The diet of the Cuckoo Roller is not well known, but a 1931 expedition found that chameleons and insects, particularly locusts and caterpillars are important food items.

Until recently the ground rollers, Cuckoo Roller, and rollers were all placed in a single family, Coraciidae, in which each of the three groups formed a subfamily.

The roller family Coraciidae is one of nine in the order Coraciiformes, which also includes the motmots, bee-eaters, todies, ground-rollers, Cuckoo Roller and three families of kingfishers.

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 Comoro Cuckoo Roller (L. gracilis).

The Cuckoo Roller or Courol (Leptosomus discolor) is the only bird in the family Leptosomatidae, which is usually considered to be within the order Coraciiformes, which also includes the kingfishers, bee-eaters and rollers.

The Cuckoo Roller or Courol (Leptosomus discolor) is the only bird in the family Leptosomatidae, which is usually considered to be within the order Coraciiformes, which also includes the kingfishers, bee-eaters and rollers.