Update 6 April 2025
• Bird #26 has reached Dar es Salaam, having flown over 3,200 km in just six days—a remarkable feat.
• Bird #24 has arrived in the Selous Game Reserve in Tanzania after travelling 2,500 km in six days.
• Bird #23 remains just south of the Mozambique–Tanzania border, seemingly enjoying a well-deserved pause for the past three days.
• Aether continues to stay put in Limpopo National Park, while
• Rory—fondly named by the late Pamela Isdell after her grandson—remains in South Africa, biding his/her time before heading north.
Each bird is giving us valuable insights into how European Rollers make their way north. Importantly, it shows just how varied their timing, routes, and stopovers can be. Jessica Wilmot, Flyway and Migrants Project Manager
Update 7 April 2025
Today’s update focuses on Rory and Aether. The satellite image below it might provide some context to their migration story.
Rory’s finally waved goodbye to SA! As of last night, Rory relocated to the Shingwedzi River Valley, near the iconic Shingwedzi Cliffs in Limpopo National Park. Project manager Jessica Wilmot is “rather envious of the view he/she is currently enjoying”.
Aether, on the other hand, is still firmly planted in Limpopo National Park since 4 April.
Jessica asks for eyes on the ground! “If you’re currently in or near any of the areas where our birds are (or know anyone who is/will be), please let me know. I can share specific tracking maps for those areas. A photo of our little heroes would be fantastic for our project, and any flock size observations would be hugely valuable. Thank you!”
You can reach Jessica at Jessica.wilmot@birdlife.org.za
European Roller Monitoring Project
The European Roller is one of the world’s most striking migratory birds, travelling over 10,000 km each year from Europe and Asia to spend the summer in southern Africa. While still globally listed as Least Concern, populations have been declining across Europe since the 1970s, with local extinctions recorded.
A Flyway Action Plan adopted in 2017 highlights the urgent need to protect its habitats and migration routes.
Filling the gaps
South Africa plays a key role in their life cycle, but little is known about their behaviour and threats during this critical overwintering period. To fill these gaps, BirdLife South Africa, with support from the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB), launched a project in December 2021 in Kruger National Park and KwaZulu-Natal, the European Roller Monitoring Project. It has since expanded to other reserves with data collected by citizen scientists, staff, and researchers.
In 2024, two European Rollers were fitted with lightweight, solar-powered satellite trackers and colour rings. Five trackers were deployed in March 2025 providing project monitors with more vital information. This helps the project identify key habitats and threats, and guide long-term conservation across their entire migratory route.
Your support can help protect this remarkable traveller—across borders and continents.
