The maintenance and monitoring of the artificial nestboxes  placed in the framework of the  “Conservation of the European Roller in the Carpathian Basin (LIFE13/NAT/HU/000081)”    project was only partially completed this year due to technical reasons. Almost 370 of the wooden boxes were checked. Of these, 114 were occupied by rollers, but we were pleased to discover that other species were also using them. Little owls, eurasian scops owls, western jackdaws,  common kestrels and common starlings were enjoying these wooden ”homes”.

Unfortunately, each year these boxes need maintenance. This time 29 needed repair and 64 were completely destroyed. The decreasing number of boxes is worrying, as the 850 nest boxes placed as a result of the activities for the medium and long-term survival of the European roller have contributed to the increase of the species’ population.

Wooden brood boxes deteriorate very quickly due to the weather conditions. A sustainable solution could be to replace them with artificial concrete nests. These special boxes, made of concrete and sawdust, can provide a durable home for nesting rollers for up to several decades. 

As a solution, albeit partial, to the decreasing number of boxes, we managed to order 30 extremely durable wood-concrete nests, for which the manufacturer offers a 30-year guarantee. The purchase was made within the framework of the project “Bet on Nature: community involvement in the conservation of endangered bird species: European roller and Red-footed falcon”. Within the project, funded by Betfair Romania Development, a series of community activities will take place, such as the planting and maintenance of poplar seedlings with the involvement of the local schools and the entire community. We are grateful that there are companies that care about protecting endangered species. 

A big thanks to our volunteers, who helped in this activity.