Family:
The European roller is a medium-sized, stocky bird with a large, broad head, long, stout, slightly hooked bill, slender tail, and short wings. It has distinctive plumage with brilliant blue head and underparts, a rusty-coloured back, and black flight feathers. Males and females are similar.
It is most often seen alone or in small groups, perched on posts, wires, trees, and other prominent positions, where it can look rather dull. Its name comes from the rolling aerial displays it performs during courtship or territorial flights, where its brilliant turquoise wings are more obvious.
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European rollers eat mostly insects such as grasshoppers, crickets, and beetles. They will also take small reptiles, rodents, and frogs.
European rollers breed mainly in Europe, but their range extends to Morocco, the Middle East, and Central Asia. They prefer warm, dry, open country with scattered trees, such as oak and pine woodlands, as well as farms, pastures, orchards, and other areas with vegetation.
They are long-distance migrants, wintering in Africa south of the Sahara in dry, wooded savanna and busy plains.
