European Roller
Coracias garrulus
Woodland. Blue head and underparts; square tail.
Rollers
NT
Not Endemic
Description
Fairly common summer visitor. Differs from [Racket-tailed Roller] and [Lilac-breasted Roller] in lack of tail-shafts. Pale blue or greenish over entire head and underparts. Rest of upper parts brown, but shows electric-blue wings in flight. Mostly silent in southern Africa but sometimes utters a harsh ‘rack-kack, kacker’. Occurs singly – often many birds within sight of each other – in woodland, bushveld and grassland. Perches on power lines.
Quick Facts
Size
30-31 cm - M
Names
A: Europese Troupant
Z: iFefeliluhlaza
Ss: Letleretlere Le Letalalehodimo
G: Blauracke
Bird Family
Colourful, heavy-billed birds with brilliant blue wing-feathers and harsh, croaking voices. They spend much of the day still-hunting from a convenient perch, flying down to catch and eat large insects and other small prey on the ground. They breed in holes in trees (sometimes in holes in cliffs) and have active display flights, which involve violent aerial manoeuvres with much harsh calling.
Distribution
Gallery
Behaviour
Breeding
Habitat
Occurs singly – often many birds within sight of each other – in woodland, bushveld and 'grassland'.
