European Roller
European RollerEuropean RollerEuropean RollerEuropean Roller

European Roller

Coracias garrulus

Silhouette: Ferran Sayol · PhyloPic

Least ConcernNear ThreatenedVulnerableEndangeredCritically Endangered
Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
at Doñana National Park
11 Verified sightings at Doñana National Park From 2019 to 2026
7,542 Verified sightings across all 63 parks From 2019 to 2026
August Best month highest sighting rate
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted during daytime hours (6am–6pm)

About the European Roller

The European roller (Coracias garrulus) is the only member of the roller family Coraciidae breeding in Europe. Its range extends into the Maghreb, West Asia and Central Asia. It winters in southern Africa, primarily in dry wooded savanna and bushy plains. It occurs in a wide variety of habitats, but avoids treeless plains. It usually nests in tree holes.

The European roller was formally described by the Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus in 1758 in the tenth edition of his Systema Naturae under its current binomial name Coracias garrulus. The type locality is Sweden. The generic name derives from Greek korakias referring to a type of corvid, perhaps the red-billed chough. The specific epithet garrulus is from Latin and means 'chattering' in reference to the bird's calls. Alternate English names include the blue roller, common roller, Eurasian roller, or simply roller.

A molecular phylogenetic study by Ulf Johansson and collaborators published in 2018 found that the European roller was most closely related to the Abyssinian roller (Coracias abyssinicus). The rollers are medium-sized Old World birds of open woodland habitats. They have brightly coloured plumage... Wikipedia →

Closest Relatives at Doñana National Park

European Bee-eater
LC

European Bee-eater

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Merops apiaster

Daily sighting probability ~20% · Possible
Common Kingfisher
LC

Common Kingfisher

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Alcedo atthis

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck

Global Distribution

Warmer areas are where this animal is recorded most often.

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Kiskunság National Park 🇭🇺 Hungary
~30%
2 Tsavo West National Park 🇰🇪 Kenya
~30%
3 Meru National Park 🇰🇪 Kenya
~20%
4 Hortobágy National Park 🇭🇺 Hungary
~20%
5 Tarangire National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
~20%
6 Tsavo East National Park 🇰🇪 Kenya
~20%
7 Serengeti National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
~20%
8 Ngorongoro Conservation Area 🇹🇿 Tanzania
~10%
9 Kruger National Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
~10%
10 Lake Manyara National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
~10%
11 Mkomazi National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
~10%
12 Ruaha National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
~10%
13 Hwange National Park 🇿🇼 Zimbabwe
~10%
14 Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
~10%
15 Camargue 🇫🇷 France
~10%
16 Mikumi National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
~10%
17 Samburu National Reserve 🇰🇪 Kenya
~10%
18 Nairobi National Park 🇰🇪 Kenya
<5%
19 Masai Mara National Reserve 🇰🇪 Kenya
<5%
20 Awash National Park 🇪🇹 Ethiopia
<5%
21 Kafue National Park 🇿🇲 Zambia
<5%
22 Mana Pools National Park 🇿🇼 Zimbabwe
<5%
23 iSimangaliso Wetland Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
<5%
24 Cévennes National Park 🇫🇷 France
<5%
25 Amboseli National Park 🇰🇪 Kenya
<5%
26 Arusha National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
<5%
27 Moremi Game Reserve 🇧🇼 Botswana
<5%
28 Kidepo Valley National Park 🇺🇬 Uganda
<5%
29 Lake Nakuru National Park 🇰🇪 Kenya
<5%
30 Akagera National Park 🇷🇼 Rwanda
<5%
31 Murchison Falls National Park 🇺🇬 Uganda
<5%
32 Chobe National Park 🇧🇼 Botswana
<5%
33 Queen Elizabeth National Park 🇺🇬 Uganda
<5%
34 Etosha National Park 🇳🇦 Namibia
<5%
35 Pilanesberg National Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
<5%
36 Addo Elephant National Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
<5%
37 Keoladeo National Park 🇮🇳 India
<5%
38 Pyrénées National Park 🇫🇷 France
<5%
39 Virunga National Park 🇨🇩 Democratic Republic of the Congo
<5%
40 Doñana National Park 🇪🇸 Spain
<5%
41 Monfragüe National Park 🇪🇸 Spain
<5%
42 Table Mountain National Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
<5%
43 Bale Mountains National Park 🇪🇹 Ethiopia
Insufficient data
44 Hohe Tauern National Park 🇦🇹 Austria
Insufficient data
45 Ecrins National Park 🇫🇷 France
Insufficient data
46 Gonarezhou National Park 🇿🇼 Zimbabwe
Insufficient data
47 Gorongosa National Park 🇲🇿 Mozambique
Insufficient data
48 Liwonde National Park 🇲🇼 Malawi
Insufficient data
49 Waterberg Plateau Park 🇳🇦 Namibia
Insufficient data
50 Mercantour National Park 🇫🇷 France
Insufficient data
51 South Luangwa National Park 🇿🇲 Zambia
Insufficient data
52 Lower Zambezi National Park 🇿🇲 Zambia
Insufficient data
53 Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
Insufficient data
54 Niokolo-Koba National Park 🇸🇳 Senegal
Insufficient data
55 Garden Route National Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
Insufficient data
56 Kibale National Park 🇺🇬 Uganda
Insufficient data
57 Ordesa y Monte Perdido National Park 🇪🇸 Spain
Insufficient data
58 Aigüestortes National Park 🇪🇸 Spain
Insufficient data
59 Fertő-Hanság National Park 🇭🇺 Hungary
Insufficient data
60 Ranthambore National Park 🇮🇳 India
Insufficient data
61 Bwindi Impenetrable National Park 🇺🇬 Uganda
Insufficient data
62 Sierra Nevada National Park 🇪🇸 Spain
Insufficient data
63 Sierra de Guadarrama National Park 🇪🇸 Spain
Insufficient data

Quick answers

What are the chances of seeing a European Roller in Doñana National Park?

Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a European Roller sighting in Doñana National Park, based on 11 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.

When is the best time to see European Roller in Doñana National Park?

August has the highest sighting rate for European Roller in Doñana National Park in our monthly data.

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