Rollers: Coraciidae - Physical Characteristics, Diet, Behavior And Reproduction, European Roller (coracias Garrulus): Species Accounts - GEOGRAPHIC RANGE, HABITAT, ROLLERS AND PEOPLE, CONSERVATION STATUS
asia considered vulnerable common
Rollers range within Africa, southern Europe, and southern Asia to northeastern and southeastern Asia, and Australasia, east to the Solomon Islands.
Rollers live in forests, woodlands, savannas (flat grasslands), and within urban areas, preferring the tropics and subtropics.
People generally have little interest in rollers. Some exceptions occur; for instance, body parts of rollers are used in love potions, drinks supposedly used to increase sexual desire. Rollers have also been viewed as good omens. People hunt ground-rollers for food because they are easy targets.
True rollers are common throughout all or part of their ranges, with one species considered Vulnerable, facing a high risk of extinction in the wild. Ground-rollers have four species that are considered Vulnerable due to deforestation. Cuckoo rollers are generally common and survive in small, fragmented forest patches. However, they are being adversely affected by widespread land clearing.
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Rollers include three subfamilies: true rollers, ground-rollers, and the cuckoo roller. The three groups are medium-sized, brightly colored, and fairly large, stocky birds with a short necks; broad, strong syndactylous (sin-DACK-tuh-lus) feet, merged toes with no web in between; rounded wings; and short tails, though some species have tail streamers, a longer, central tail part. Sexes are similar …
Rollers perch evenly spaced within groups. True rollers gather into migrating flocks, and are territorial most of the year. They are usually seen singly or in pairs, sometimes in post-breeding families. When breeding, they are noisy with loud cackling calls that occur during daring maneuvers. During non-breeding seasons, the birds are quiet and slow. Ground-rollers are territorial, especially when…
Physical characteristics: European rollers are heavily built, large rollers with no tail streamers. Their head, neck, and underparts are bright pale blue, with rufous to chestnut upperparts, blue square-tipped tail, and vivid blue wing patch. The throat and breast are streaked with white. They have a short black streak through the eye, and a brownish black bill with a white base. The two central t…
Physical characteristics: Dollarbirds are stocky, dark greenish-blue or purplish birds with a large head; short, thick neck; short legs; short-looking, square-ended tail; and short but broad, heavy red bill. They have broad and long wings with central tail feathers that are blackish with dark blue bases and outer feathers that are blackish with purple-blue edges and greenish-blue bases. Dollarbird…
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