Roller, common

Roller, common (Coracias garrulus; Ukrainian: ракша, сиворакша; raksha, syvoraksha). Colorful migratory birds of the family Coracidae, found from southern Europe to western Asia. Common rollers are 25–40 cm long and have vivid blue wings. In northern Ukraine they nest in tree hollows and in southern Ukraine, in ground holes, on cliffs, and on riverbanks. They are also known as Eurasian rollers. They feed on large insects, locusts, and lizards, thereby providing a service to agriculture.

[This article originally appeared in the Encyclopedia of Ukraine, vol. 4 (1993).]