Meet The Bee-Eaters
Bee-eaters belong to a bird family called Meropidae. There are 27 different kinds of bee-eaters (species), grouped into three main categories (genera, plural of genus). Namely, Nyctyornis, Meropogon and Merops.
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In India, we can find 6 out of these 27 species.
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Asian green Bee-eater
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Blue-bearded Bee-eater
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Blue-cheeked Bee-eater
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Blue-tailed Bee-eater
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Chestnut-headed Bee-eater
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European Bee-eater
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Staying true to their name, they mostly eat bugs they catch while flying, especially bees and wasps. They sit on a branch or something similar and then fly out to grab the insects. To avoid getting stung, they rub and hit the bee or wasp against a hard surface to get rid of the stinger.
APPEARANCE
The Asian Green bee-eater is mostly bright green, especially on its underside (belly). It has a black stripe around its throat called the gorget, kind-of like a necklace. It also has a black stripe across its face, going through its red eye that looks like an eye-mask. Finally, it has two long, black feathers sticking out from its tail, about 6 centimeters long.
BEHAVIOUR
Bee-eaters tend to live in social groups. A group consisting of a few monogamous pairs.
SIZE
47 - 60 cms | 18.5 - 23.6 inches
OTHER CHARACTERISTICS
male more colourful, The juvenile birds are duller and lack the black tail streamers and gorget on the neck.
Biome
TERRESTRIAL
AGRICULTURAL
SUBURBAN
APPEARANCE
The Chestnut-headed bee-eater is vividly coloured, thin bird. It's mostly green, with blue on its lower back and belly. Its face and throat are yellow, and it has a black stripe through its eye. The top and back of its head are a reddish-brown color, like a chestnut. It has a thin, curved black beak. It lacks the two elongated central tail feathers possessed by most of its relatives.
BEHAVIOUR
Bee-eaters tend to live in social groups. A group consisting of a few monogamous pairs.
SIZE
18 - 20 cms | 7 - 7.8 inches
OTHER CHARACTERISTICS
Male and female birds look the same, but younger birds have less bright colours.
Biome
FRESHWATER
WETLANDS
ANTHROPOGENIC
FOREST &
SHRUBLAND
APPEARANCE
The Blue-beared bee-eater is most likely the largest of bee-eaters. It's called the "blue-bearded" bee-eater because it has long, fluffy blue feathers on its throat that look like a beard. They make loud calls. Their tail is also different; it's square-shaped and doesn't have the long, thin, wire-like feathers that many other bee-eaters have.
BEHAVIOUR
Unlike some other bee-eaters, they don't usually live in big groups and aren't as constantly active.
SIZE
16 - 18 cms | 6.3 -7.1 inches
OTHER CHARACTERISTICS
males and females appear similar, the blue throat feathers of the male show higher ultraviolet reflectivity than those of the female.
Biome
FRESHWATER
WETLANDS
ANTHROPOGENIC
FOREST &
SHRUBLAND
APPEARANCE
The Blue-cheeked Bee-eater (Merops persicus ) is a passage migrant and, more recently, a rare breeder India. It is mostly green. Its face has blue sides, a black stripe around its eyes, and a yellow and brown throat. It has a black beak.Its movements exemplify the critical importance of Indian habitats for migratory birds, making regions like Gujarat vital waypoints for birds traveling between Eurasia and Africa.
BEHAVIOUR
Bee-eaters tend to live in social groups. A group consisting of a few monogamous pairs.
SIZE
31 cm | 12 inches with tail streamers adding 7 cm (2.8 in).
OTHER CHARACTERISTICS
Sexes are mostly alike but the tail-streamers of the female are shorter.
Biome
FRESHWATER
WETLANDS
ANTHROPOGENIC
FOREST &
SHRUBLAND
