European Roller

A striking blue-and-chestnut bird of open farmland, steppe and woodland edge across southern and eastern Europe, the Middle East and central Asia, where it perches conspicuously on wires, poles or dead branches to scan the ground for large insects and small vertebrates. It is most visible in spring and summer during the breeding season, often seen dropping to the ground to snatch prey before returning to the same perch, and its populations have declined sharply in parts of Europe, making sightings there increasingly notable. Look and listen for its harsh, crow-like call near old trees or nest boxes used for cavity nesting.