Swallow-tailed bee-eater
| Swallow-tailed bee-eater | |
|---|---|
| File:Swallow-tailed bee-eater (Merops hirundineus hirundineus).jpg | |
| M. hirundineus hirundineus Tswalu Kalahari Reserve, South Africa | |
| File:Swallow-tailed bee-eater (Merops hirundineus chrysolaimus).jpg | |
| M. hirundineus chrysolaimus Senegal | |
| Scientific classification Edit this classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Coraciiformes |
| Family: | Meropidae |
| Genus: | Merops |
| Species: | M. hirundineus
|
| Binomial name | |
| Merops hirundineus Lichtenstein, AAH, 1793
| |
| Synonyms | |
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The swallow-tailed bee-eater (Merops hirundineus) is a species of bee-eater native to sub-Saharan Africa. It feeds predominantly on insects, especially bees and their relatives, which are caught in flight from an open perch. Its vivid colors and forked tail are distinctive.
Description
[edit | edit source]Like other bee-eaters, this is a richly coloured, slender bird. Its colours and readily visible forked tail make it unmistakable. It is mainly green with a yellow throat, blue gorget and black eye stripe and beak. Swallow-tailed bee-eaters can reach a length of 20–22 cm, including the long forked green or blue feathers. Sexes are alike.[2]
Distribution and habitat
[edit | edit source]It breeds in savannah woodlands of sub-Saharan Africa. It is partially migratory, moving in response to rainfall patterns. This is a species which prefers somewhat more wooded country than most bee-eaters.
Behaviour
[edit | edit source]This attractive bird is readily approached. Just as the name suggests, bee-eaters predominantly eat insects, especially bees, wasps and hornets, which are caught in the air by sorties from an open perch. The swallowtail has a preference for honeybees.[2]
These bee-eaters nest as pairs or in very small colonies in sandy banks, or similar flat ground. They make a relatively long tunnel in which the 2 to 4 spherical, white eggs are laid. They also feed and roost communally.[2]
References
[edit | edit source]External links
[edit | edit source]
- Swallow-tailed bee-eater - Species text in The Atlas of Southern African Birds.
- Swallow-tailed bee-eater Structured guide to the species in southern Africa
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