ADVERTISEMENT
LEICA SL-KITS - Unlock Your Creativity Today: Discover More

Photographing The European Roller

The European roller is a very special bird and here you can find out how to photograph it.

| Eschenbach Arena D+ 10x50 B in Animals / Wildlife
BUY NOW ESCHENBACH Arena D+ 10x50 B
SEARCH AMAZON UK SEARCH AMAZON US
ADVERTISEMENT

Photographing The European Roller : European roller

The European roller is a very special bird: not only because of its beautiful plumage but also because the species has an uncommon survival system.

Appearance

The European roller is a beautiful coloured bird the size of a Jackdaw (about 31 to 32 centimetres). He's a stocky bird surmounted by a big head. His legs are rather short compared to the size of his body. His powerful and slightly curved beak recalls that of a Raven.

The European roller has a shimmering plumage made up of different shades of blue. Rather turquoise in the shade, it turns into strong blue in the sun. His back is brown-red and he has a dark-coloured tail. The forehead and chin are grey-white, but these areas are very discreet. Males and females have similar plumages, even if females are paler. The young Roller’s feathers are less shimmery and they have brown throat and chest.

 

Occurrence

Denmark, Finland, the Czech Republic and Germany are breeding areas that have been abandoned for decades. In the 1960s and 1970s, agriculture became so intense that the European roller could no longer reproduce without being disturbed. Today, the species is considered extinct in these countries.

The European roller now breeds in Eastern Europe, Hungary, Italy, Spain and North West Africa. Its ideal habitats are the calm and warm meadows dotted with trees. This is essential for its nesting. As a migratory bird, the roller leaves Europe at the end of the summer and travel to South Africa to spend the winter.

 

Bird photography tips

Our bird of the week is a hunter. He perches high and dives to capture insects on land or even in flight. But he is clumsy on the ground. Rollers feed on large insects (grasshoppers, crickets), beetles, butterflies, lizards and even small mammals. The European roller breeds in natural tree cavities.

One of the amazing features of this species is the feeding after hatching. Nature has shown great ingenuity for all the chicks to be well fed. The plumage of young birds lacking food reflects more UV light than those of their stronger brothers and sisters. Parents know from this ploy which chick wants to eat more than the others. Another trick to survive is that in the event of a threat, young birds vomit an orange and foul-smelling liquid. This poisonous liquid makes the chicks unfit for consumption by predators.

Discover Eschenbach binoculars for bird watching and photography

Buy Now

Amazon UK Logo

We don't have the latest price however the link below will take you to the most relevant items.

Eschenbach Arena D+ 10x50 B SEARCH
Amazon US Logo

We don't have the latest price however the link below will take you to the most relevant items.

Eschenbach Arena D+ 10x50 B SEARCH
MPB Logo

We transform the way that people buy, sell and trade in photo and video kit.

USED GEAR

Support this site by making a Donation, purchasing Plus Membership, or shopping with one of our affiliates: Amazon UK, Amazon US, Amazon CA, ebay UK, MPB. It doesn't cost you anything extra when you use these links, but it does support the site, helping keep ePHOTOzine free to use, thank you.

View Directory Page : Eschenbach Binoculars
ADVERTISEMENT

Other articles you might find interesting...

Top Quick Tips On Photographing Ducks
How To Photograph Animals In UK Wildlife Parks
4 Top Cat Photography Tips
Why Use A Telephoto Lens For Wildlife Photography?
Basic Butterfly Photography Tips
Photographing Dragonflies And Damselflies
How To Stop Wire Fences Ruining Your Wildlife Shots
4 Top Tips On Photographing Dogs At The Beach

There are no comments here! Be the first!

Login

You must be a member to leave a comment.

ePHOTOzine, the web's friendliest photography community.

Join for free

Upload photos, chat with photographers, win prizes and much more.

ADVERTISEMENT