Rollers

Characteristic features of rollers

Some also inhabit the temperate warm and tropical regions of other continents. Rollers are cavity nesters and have a relatively short head, long wings and a strong, downward-curved beak. A striking feature here is the brightly coloured plumage. There are a total of 17 roller species. These feed almost exclusively on insects.

Some roller species catch their prey almost exclusively from elevated perches, such as treetops, as these roller species usually live in forested areas. In this case, they often catch flying insects, but also caterpillars. Other species, such as the ground roller, stay close to the ground and lurk for insects near the ground. Rollers lay 2 to 3 eggs and build their nests according to their surroundings, in tree hollows; if they are ground rollers, they usually dig long tunnels under leaves and build their nests well hidden in an earth cave.

Population of rollers

The endangerment of rollers varies greatly depending on the species. For the most part, however, rollers are not considered endangered. The population of European rollers has declined by 30% over the last 3 generations and therefore European rollers are considered near threatened. The main reasons for the decline are above all pesticide contamination, environmental pollution, but in some countries of the world European rollers are also used as a food source.