Abstract <p>A new species of roller, <i>Coracias chauvireae</i> sp. nov., is described from the Lower Pleistocene of the Taurida Cave (central Crimea) based on a complete tarsometatarsus. This is the second finding of the family Coraciidae in the Lower Pleistocene of Eurasia and the oldest for the genus <i>Coracias</i> on the continent. The new species is close to the lineage <i>C. caudatus—C. garrulus</i>, which is of African origin, but apparently diverged earlier than the modern species in this group. The previous assignment of <i>Eurystomus beremendensis</i> Kessler, 2010 from the Lower Pliocene of Hungary to the family Coraciidae is shown to be erroneous, and this taxon is here transferred to the genus <i>Falco</i>. Differentiation of modern subspecies of the European roller (<i>Coracias garrulus garrulus</i> and <i>C. g. semenowi</i>) by size and proportions of the tarsometatarsus is revealed for the first time.</p>