In the Vallee des Baux, A Rocha France has been leading the way for many years to protect one of the most beautiful birds in Europe. The European Roller Coracias garrulus has stunning azure plumage and a wingspan of 70 cm. Every year they fly 6,000 km from southern Africa across the Sahara and the Mediterranean Sea to southern and eastern Europe to nest and raise their young.

Once very abundant, the roller has declined by more than 20%, and is now near-threatened with extinction. Protected at the European level by the Birds Directive, its trade has also been banned globally by the CITES Convention, which regulates the trade in endangered species, since 2014.

An indicator species for good agricultural practices

The roller is an excellent bioindicator of sustainable agriculture. It uses natural cavities created by woodpeckers for nesting. Its need for large insects for food is not compatible with insecticide-intensive agriculture. Its use of wooded areas for nesting and open areas for hunting make it an indicator of agricultural mosaics. A charismatic and easily spotted species, its presence is accompanied by that of many other declining species that share the same ecological needs, such as the Little Owl Athene noctua, Hoopoe Upupa epops, and shrikes.