European Roller

Overview

The European roller is the only member of the roller family Coraciidae that breeds in Europe. It is a medium-sized Old World bird characterised by brightly coloured plumage and a hooked bill. The species is classified as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List, although it has experienced significant population declines in northern and western Europe.

Identification

• Stocky bird the size of a Eurasian jay, measuring 29–32 cm in length with a 52–58 cm wingspan.
• Mainly brilliant blue plumage with an orange-brown back; blue-black ends on the flight feathers.
• Strong, direct flight featuring twists and turns; sexes are similar, though juveniles appear drabbler.
• Emits a harsh, crow-like call, often as a raucous series when alarmed.

Habitat

This bird of warmer regions inhabits a wide variety of open country with scattered trees, such as oak and pine woodlands, farms, and orchards, while avoiding completely treeless plains. Its breeding range extends from north-western Africa and southern Europe eastwards to western China, and it winters primarily in dry, wooded savanna and bushy plains in southern Africa.

Diet

As a sit-and-wait hunter, the European roller perches prominently on trees, posts, or wires to watch for prey. Adults mainly eat beetles, while nestlings are primarily fed Orthoptera such as grasshoppers and bush crickets. They also consume large insects, small reptiles, rodents, and frogs.

Did you know?

The chick of this species will vomit a foul-smelling orange liquid onto itself to deter predators. This same smell serves as a warning signal to the parents when they return to the nest.