Afghanistan (B), Albania (B), Algeria, Angola, Armenia (B), Austria (B), Azerbaijan (B), Bahrain, Belarus (B), Benin, Bosnia and Herzegovina (B), Botswana, Bulgaria (B) (P), Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, China (mainland) (B), Congo [The Democratic Republic of the], Congo [The Democratic Republic of the], Côte dIvoire, Croatia (Local Name: Hrvatska) (B), Cyprus (B) (P), Czech Republic (B), Djibouti, Egypt, Eritrea, Estonia (B), Ethiopia, France (B) (P), Gabon, Gambia, Georgia (B), Germany (NB), Gibraltar, Greece (B) (P), Guinea-bissau, Hungary (B), India (B), Iran [Islamic Republic of] (B), Iraq (B) (NB) (P), Israel (B), Italy (B), Jordan (P), Kazakhstan (B), Kenya, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan (B), Latvia (B), Lebanon, Lesotho, Liberia, Libyan Arab Jamahiriya, Lithuania (B), Macedonia [The Former Yugoslav Republic of] (B), Malawi, Mali, Malta, Mauritania, Moldova [Republic of] (B) (P), Montenegro (B), Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, Norway, Oman, Pakistan (B), Poland (B), Portugal (B), Qatar, Romania (B), Russia (Central Asian) (B), Russia (European) (B), Rwanda, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Serbia (B), Seychelles, Slovakia (Slovak Republic) (B), Slovenia (B), Somalia, South Africa, Spain (B) (P), Sudan, Swaziland, Sweden (B), Switzerland, Syrian Arab Republic (B), Tajikistan (B), Tanzania [United Republic of], Tunisia, Turkey (B), Turkmenistan (B), Uganda, Ukraine (B) (P), United Arab Emirates, Uzbekistan (B), Western Sahara, Yemen, Zambia, Zimbabwe.
Vagrant to Belgium, Cape Verde, Comoros, Denmark, Faroe Islands, Finland, Ghana, Iceland, Ireland, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Netherlands Antilles, Niger, Sâo Tomé e Principe, United Kingdom.
Europe and North Africa. Winters as far south as South Africa.
Population
Estimated population is 200,000 - 700,000 (2010) and decreasing.
Status LC
Hunting, use of pesticides and conversion to monoculture reducing food availability, loss of hedgerows and riparian forest, are the main threats.
For more information see BirdLife International Species Factsheet.
Food
Mainly large insects, also small mammals, young birds, amphibians and reptiles.
Voice
A rasping, accelerating rattle. A harsh, short contact call.
Subspecies
Often regarded as forming a superspecies with Lilac-breasted Roller (Coracias caudatus) and Abyssinian Roller (Coracias abyssinicus), though those two are probably more closely allied to each other than either is to this species.
The following 2 subspecies are recognised:
garrulus Linnaeus, 1758 - North-western Africa, south-west, south-central and eastern Europe and Asia Minor east through north-western Iran to south-western Siberia.
semenowi Loudon & Tschusi, 1902 - Iraq and Iran (except north-west) east to Kashmir, north to Turkmeniya, southern Kazakhstan and north-western China (western Sinkiang).
The Reader's Digest Book of British Birds 1980, 3rd Edition, Drive Publications Ltd ISBN 0 340 25308 8
Birds in Colour Campbell, B., 1960, Penguin Books Ltd
The Pocket Guide to Nest and Eggs Fitter, R.S.R., 1954, Collins
RSPB Handbook of British Birds Holden, P., Cleeves, T., 2002, A & C Black ISBN 0 7136 5713 8
Birds of Britain and Europe Sterry, P., et al., 2001, AA Publishing ISBN 0 7495 3068 5
The Popular Handbook of British Birds Hollom, P.A.D., 1973, H.F. & G. Witherby Ltd ISBN 0 85493 002 7
BirdLife International Species Factsheet