European Roller's Kindergarten

August 13th, 2024, Birding @ Handege'er Mongolian Ethnic Township Part 1

In the morning of August 13, I arrived at Handege'er Mongolian Ethnic Township to find the European Roller. I only expected to see one European Roller, but it turns out that I saw a family of European Rollers and parents nursing their young. Such a surprise!

I love the beauty of the European Roller. Its body has a unique pattern: a bright sky blue on the head, wing, and tail with cinnamon-orange on the back and breast. There is not that much of a difference between the male and female Rollers; both are blue and beautiful. The baby Roller, however, has a grayish shade rather than light blue.

The European Roller, as I observed, is a "sit and wait" predator. The male bird is perched on a bare branch, and it is constantly looking around. When it finds a large insect, like the one in its mouth in the pictures below, it launches itself and snatches the prey quickly and accurately.

European Roller Taking a Shower