Rare European Roller bird spotted in Suffolk

A rare visit by a European Roller has prompted hundreds of birdwatchers to flock to Suffolk.

The colourful bird, mostly seen in Southern Europe, is thought by experts to have overshot its usual feeding grounds.

The bird, spotted in Lackford near Bury St Edmunds, is about the size of a crow and usually feeds on small lizards and beetles.

Paul Stancliffe, from the British Trust for Ornithology based in Norfolk, said the bird "was very rare in Britain" and has only been spotted about five times in the UK in the past five years.

29 June 2021