Asian dollarbird

Eurystomus orientalis

Photo by Nial Moores (Birds Korea)

Common name:
Asian dollarbird (en); rolieiro-oriental (es); rolle oriental (fr); carraca oriental (es); dollarvogel (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Coraciiformes
Family Coraciidae

Range:
This species breeds in extreme south-eastern Russia, Korea, Japan and eastern China, through Indochina and Indonesia and into eastern and southern India and northern and eastern Australia. The more northern and southern populations migrate while the central populations are resident.

Size:
These birds are 25-31 cm long and weigh 120 g.

Habitat:
The dollarbird is found in a wide range of habitats, including moist scrublands, temperate forests, moist tropical forests, pastures, arable land, rural gardens and urban areas. They are present from sea level up to an altitude of 1.500 m.

Diet:
They feed almost exclusively on flying insects, which they catch on the wing or by sallying out from a perch.

Breeding:
Dollarbirds can breed all year round, varying between different parts of their range. They nest in an unlined tree hollow, where the female lays 3-4 white eggs. The eggs are incubated by both parents for 17-20 days. The chicks are fed by both parents and fledge about 1 month after hatching.

Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
This species has an extremely large breeding range and, although the global population size has not been quantified, it is reported to be frequent to common throughout most of this range. The population is suspected to be in decline locally owing to ongoing habitat destruction.

European roller

Coracias garrulus

(Photo from Internet Bird Collection)

Common name:

European roller (en); rolieiro (pt); rollier d'Europe (fr); carraca (es); blauracke (de)

Taxonomy:

Order Coraciiformes

Family Coraciidae

Range:

These birds breed in the Palearctic, from north-west Africa and Iberia in the west, along the Mediterranean basin and north-east to the Ukraine, Belarus and the Baltic states. They are also found breeding in Turkey, through Iran, Pakistan and Turkmenistan, all the way to China and southern Siberia. They winter in Africa in two separate regions from Senegal east to Cameroon and from Ethiopia west to Congo and south to South Africa.

Size:

The European roller is 29-32 cm long and has a wingspan of 52-58 cm. They weigh 120-190 g.

Habitat:

They are found in warm, dry, open country with scattered trees, preferring lowland open countryside with patches of oak Quercus forest, mature pine Pinus woodland with heathery clearings, orchards, mixed farmland, river valleys, and plains with scattered thorny or leafy trees. It winters primarily in dry wooded savanna and bushy plains.

Diet:

The European roller is mostly insectivorous, hunting large insects including Orthoptera and Coleoptera. They also take spiders, small reptiles, rodents and frogs.

Breeding:

They start breeding in May. The nest is a cavity in a tree or old building, but they also use nest boxes where available. The female lays 4-7 white eggs which are incubated for 19 days. After hatching the young stay in the nest for 28 days, being fed by both parents until fledging. pairs without a clutches will often help defend the chicks of another pair.

Conservation:

IUCN status - NT (Near-Threatened)

Although they have a very large breeding range, the population has undergone a moderately rapid decline. The global population is currently estimated at 200.000-700.000 individuals and the main threats are loss of habitats due to agricultural intensification and pesticide abuse, both limiting the availability of food. During migration they are hunted and hundreds, perhaps even thousands are shot for food every year in Oman and India.