European Roller

Coracias garrulus

Silhouette: Ferran Sayol · PhyloPic

Least ConcernNear ThreatenedVulnerableEndangeredCritically Endangered

KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
PhylumChordata (Chordates)
ClassAves (Birds)
OrderCoraciiformes (Rollers, Kingfishers, and Allies)
FamilyCoraciidae (Rollers)
GenusCoracias (Typical Rollers)
SpeciesCoracias garrulus (European Roller)

Daily sighting probability Insufficient data

at Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park

1 Verified sightings at Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park From 2019 to 2026

7,542 Verified sightings across all 63 parks From 2019 to 2026

☀️ 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 Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park

Coracias caudatus

Daily sighting probability ~20% · Possible

Coracias naevius

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

Merops hirundineus

Daily sighting probability ~30% · Possible

Halcyon chelicuti

Daily sighting probability Insufficient data

Corythornis cristatus

Daily sighting probability Insufficient data

Merops apiaster

Daily sighting probability Insufficient data

Ceryle rudis

Daily sighting probability Insufficient data

Megaceryle maxima

Daily sighting probability Insufficient data

Merops nubicoides

Daily sighting probability Insufficient data

Merops bullockoides

Daily sighting probability Insufficient data

See all 10 relatives Show fewer

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

← Back to Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park

European Roller

About the European Roller

Recent sightings of European Roller in Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park

Closest Relatives at Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park

Lilac-breasted Roller

Rufous-crowned Roller

Swallow-tailed Bee-eater

Striped Kingfisher

Malachite Kingfisher

European Bee-eater

Pied Kingfisher

Giant Kingfisher

Southern Carmine Bee-eater

White-fronted Bee-eater

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found