European Roller
Coracias garrulus Linnaeus, 1758
Coracias garrula: Reiser, 1894: 95.
Order Coraciiformes
Family Coraciidae
Conservation status: in Bulgaria: Vulnerable VU [B1+B2+C], BCA-II, III; International: IUCN-NT, BeC-II, BoC-II, BD-I; ECS-2.
General distribution. A European-Turkestan species breeding in Central and Southern Europe in the east to Altai, in Northwestern Africa, Asia Minor, Syria, Mesopotamia, Central Asia, Afganistan and Northwestern India. In Europe the breeding population is between 53 000 – 110 000 breeding pairs. It is a migratory species wintering in tropical Africa in the south to Cape Province [1].
Distribution and abundance in Bulgaria. A breeding summer visitor and passage migrant. In the past it was common in flat regions and less frequently in hilly regions and the feet of the mountains at altitudes of up to about 800 – 1 000 m. [1]. At present it breeds along the river Danube and its tributaries [2], the Ludogorie region, Dobrudzha, Southeastern Bulgaria, in many places in Western Bulgaria, mainly along the valley of the river Struma in a total of about 270 UTM squares [3]. It is most numerous along the valley of the river Danube. The total abundance in the country is between 3 000 and 4 000 pairs [4], and according to [5] between 2 500 and 5 500 breeding pairs.
Habitats. Flat and hilly terrains with singular old trees, dry ravines, loess slopes.
Biology. The nests are in hollows of trees (walnut, oak, willow) at a height of 3-7 m or under the ground in sandy or loess banks. It digs out a tunnel in them with a length of up to 2 m, ending in a breeding chamber. The building of the nest starts at the beginning of May. It lays 4-6 (3-7) white eggs. Incubation continues for 17-20 days. The young ones leave the nest after about 25-30 days [1].
Similar species. None.
Negative factors. Destruction and degradation of its habitats; use of chemicals in agriculture for combating pests; direct destruction.
Conservation measures taken. Protected according to the Biological Diversity Act. Some of its habitats are included in Protected Territories along the river Danube and the Black Sea coast.
Conservation measures needed. Follow-up of the changes in the breeding abundance in the country; study of the factors having a negative impact on the numbers of the breeding populations and the changes in the abundance and the area of distribution.
References. 1. Nankinov et al, 1997; 2. Shurulinkov et al, 2005; 3. Iankov, in press; 4. Nankinov et al, 1994; 5. Kostadinova, Gramatikov, 2007.
Author: Tanyo Michev
