page_title: European roller
section_title: Description
hierarchical_section_title: European roller / Description
caption_attribution_description: English: Coracias garrulus (European Roller), Steinhardt Museum of Natural History, Tel Aviv University, Israel עברית: כחל מצוי / כחל אירופאי, מוזיאון הטבע על שם שטיינהרדט, אוניברסיטת תל אביב, ישראל This is a photo of a place that is recognized as a heritage site by The Council for Conservation of Heritage Sites in Israel. The site's ID in Wiki Loves Monuments photographic competition is 3-5000-520
context_page_description: The European roller is the only member of the roller family of birds to breed in Europe. Its overall range extends into the Middle East, Central Asia and Morocco.
  The European roller is found in a wide variety of habitats, avoiding only treeless plains. It winters primarily in dry wooded savanna and bushy plains, where it typically nests in tree holes.
context_section_description: The European roller is a stocky bird, the size of a jackdaw at 29–32 cm in length with a 52–58 cm wingspan; it is mainly blue with an orange-brown back. Rollers often perch prominently on trees, posts or overhead wires, like giant shrikes, whilst watching for the large insects, small reptiles, rodents and frogs that they eat. The diet of adult rollers is dominated by Coleoptera, whereas nestlings mostly eat Orthoptera, such as grasshoppers and bush crickets.
  This species is striking in its strong direct flight, with the brilliant blue contrasting with black flight feathers. Sexes are similar, but the juvenile is a drabber version of the adult.
  The display of this bird is like that of a lapwing, with the twists and turns that give this species its English name. It nests in an unlined tree or cliff hole, and lays up to six eggs.
  The call is a harsh crow-like sound. It gives a raucous series of calls when nervous.
caption: Museum specimen at the Steinhardt Museum of Natural History, Israel, showing the deep blue feathers of the wings.
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