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European Rollers are relatively small rollers. Apart from some buff to creamy feathers on lores and chin, their large head, neck and front are all turquoise, with the head and neck a brighter hue than the chest, belly and vent. Also the frontal part of the wings is turquoise, with a blue shoulder patch. The back is rufous to brown, while the rump is turquoise and the uppertail is dark-grey. In flight one can see the black-tipped flight feathers and blue to turquoise upperwing coverts. The irises are brown. The long, strong and slightly hooked bill is dark-grey, with a brownish-grey base. The legs and feet are also brownish-grey.

The overall distribution of this species can be assessed, and specific locations where birds have been spotted can be found, based on individual sighting reports submitted by birdwatchers to ebird.org .

The global distribution of the European Roller is available HERE .

There are two races of European Rollers, both of which are strongly migratory. Both races spend the winters in sub-Saharan Africa. Nominate race "garrulus" breeds around the western Mediterranean, in parts of south-eastern Europe, in Asia Minor and north-western Iran. They migrate to an area of Africa from Senegal in the West to Cameroon in the East. Race "semenowi" breeds in Iraq and the rest of Iran, and eastwards from there into parts of central Asia, up to North-west China. This race spends the winters in the area from Congo in the West to Ethiopia in the East and southwards from there to South Africa. Recent tracking research suggests parallel migration, with birds breeding in the western part of their range also preferring winter grounds in western Africa, while eastern breeders migrate to eastern Africa.

In Europe only European Rollers of nominate race "garrulus" are found. They breed around the western Mediterranean, from the north-western African coastal fringe via southern Spain and the Cote d'Azure and the major Mediterranean islands to parts of Italy. From Friuli north-eastwards their breeding range extends into parts of the Balkans and the Danube river valley and on into mid-latitude eastern Europe.

European Rollers have a preference for semi-arid environments, usually relatively open country with scattered trees or shrubs, with abundant large insects, such as e.g. grasshoppers or centipedes. They will nest either in tree hollows or in nest tunnels, e.g. in undercut creek banks or wadis.

Race "garrulus"

Race "semenowi"