European Roller vs Northern Gannet
Coracias garrulus compared with Morus bassanus
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | European Roller | Northern Gannet |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Coracias garrulus | Morus bassanus |
| Order | Coraciiformes | Suliformes |
| Family | Coraciidae | Sulidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | 31.0 cm (12.2 in) | 93.0 cm (36.6 in) |
| Wingspan | 66.0 cm (26.0 in) | 180.0 cm (70.9 in) |
| Weight | 130.0 g (4.59 oz) | 3000.0 g (105.82 oz) |
| Diet | Large insects, especially beetles, grasshoppers, and crickets. Also takes small reptiles, frogs, and scorpions. Hunts … | Shoaling fish, especially mackerel, herring, and capelin. Plunge-dives from heights of 30 meters at speeds … |
| Clutch Size | 3-6 | 1 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Size Comparison
Habitat Comparison
European Roller
Warm, dry, open country with scattered trees and nest holes. Breeds in tree cavities, earth banks, and nest boxes.
Northern Gannet
Open ocean and coastal waters. Breeds in dense colonies on steep rocky islands and sea stacks.
Song & Call Comparison
European Roller
A harsh, grating 'rack-rack' or 'quarrk' in flight. Gives a variety of sharp nasal calls at the nest. Not melodic; primary vocalizations are alarm and contact calls.
Northern Gannet
Loud, harsh 'urrah-urrah' grunting and croaking at breeding colonies on sea stacks. Also gives a softer 'karrr' in flight. Large colonies are extremely noisy during the breeding season.
Geographic Range & Migration
European Roller
Southern and eastern Europe, Central Asia, and North Africa. Winters in sub-Saharan Africa.
Northern Gannet
North Atlantic, breeding from Newfoundland and Gulf of St. Lawrence to Norway, Iceland, and Britain. Winters at sea south to the tropics.
Conservation Status
European Roller
Northern Gannet
How to Tell Them Apart
European Roller
Turquoise-blue head, breast, and tail. Chestnut-brown back. Vivid ultramarine blue and black wing patches visible in flight.
Short, stout, dark hooked bill
Northern Gannet
Brilliant white body with black wingtips and a golden-yellow wash on the head and nape. Blue-grey bill with dark lines and pale blue eye-ring.
Long, straight, pointed, pale blue-grey bill with serrated edges
About These Birds
European Roller
The European roller gets its name from the spectacular rolling and tumbling aerial displays performed by males during courtship. It is the only roller species in Europe and one of the continent's most colorful birds. Declining across much of its western range due to agricultural intensification and habitat loss.
Northern Gannet
The northern gannet is a spectacular plunge-diver, folding its two-meter wingspan into an arrow shape to hit the water at up to 100 km/h. Air sacs under the skin and a reinforced skull protect it from the impact. Bass Rock in Scotland hosts over 150,000 gannets, the largest single colony of any seabird in the world.