The Roller (Coracias garrulus) was rather numerous and common species well known to local people in Belarus till the 1970's. Bright plumage with predominance of blue color picks out the Roller from common line of Belarus birds. Rapid, almost catastrophic decrease of the Roller numbers started in early 1970's. Cutting down of old forests, deforestation and wide use of insecticides in agriculture were the mains reasons of population decline for this species. At present the population of the Roller in Belarus is 30-50 pairs.

This project is linking research with conservation action. Ongoing conservation initiatives pertaining to the Roller in Belarus focus on investigation on the ecological and biological behavior of the species in its habitat. This project is designed to fill important information gaps regarding causes of the species decline and contribute to improved understanding of the species distribution and initiate some conservation action.

The following results will be obtained consequently:

- Estimation of recent population number of the Roller in Belarus.

- Protection of old trees with the Roller nest-holes.

- Increasing of Roller breeding success in revealed breeding sites.

- Revealing of post-breeding dispersion, migration and biological features of the species via individual color ringing of the Roller nestlings.

- Accessing of supplementary data about feeding of the species during breeding season.

- Increasing of awareness among the staff of forestry enterprises about the necessity of the Roller protection in Belarus avifauna and about the realization of this task.