Rollers · Rollers and kingfishers
European Roller
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Coracias garrulus
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How to recognize it
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Up to 32 cm long
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Adults: greenish-blue plumage, rusty-brown back
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Often perches on wires or posts, watching for prey
About the species
Blue-green across the head and body, the European Roller has a warm orange-brown back that contrasts with its brighter plumage. In strong, direct flight, its blue wings flash beside dark flight feathers. Males and females look alike, while juveniles are duller.
It scans for prey from trees, posts, or overhead wires. Its harsh call sounds like a crow’s and can become a raucous series when it is nervous; during display, it twists and turns in flight.
It breeds in warm, dry open country with scattered trees, including open woodland, orchards, and farmland, and usually nests in a tree hole. Beetles make up much of its food, alongside other large insects, small reptiles, rodents, and frogs. It migrates to sub-Saharan Africa for winter, using dry, wooded savanna and bushy plains.
Where to find
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In warm, dry open country with scattered trees, scan prominent branches — the European roller watches for prey from these perches.
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At farms and orchards with mixed vegetation, check posts and overhead wires — it may perch there while watching for large insects.
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During the breeding season in rural areas, watch holes in abandoned buildings — it sometimes nests in cavities there.