European bee-eater

Merops apiaster

Photo by Pierre Dalous (Wikipedia)

Common name:
European bee-eater (en); abelharuco-comum (pt); guêpier d'Europe (fr); abejaruco europeo (es); bienenfresser (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Coraciiformes
Family Meropidae

Range:
This species breeds in southern Europe, from Portugal to northern France and east to the Ukraine and Turkey, and into south-western Asia through Israel, Iraq and Iran, into south-western Russia, Kazakhstan and Afghanistan. They also breed in North Africa from Morocco to north-western Libya. They migrate south to winter in sub-Saharan Africa, in a few scattered areas in the Sahel between Guinea and Chad, and in East Africa from southern Uganda to north-eastern South Africa and west to Angola. There is also a resident population in South Africa and southern Namibia.

Size:
These birds are 25-29 cm long and have a wingspan of 36-50 cm. They weigh 44-78 g.

Habitat:
The European bee-eater is found in various open habitats, including dry scrublands, dry savannas, dry grasslands, pastures, temperate forests, arable land and inland wetlands such as lakes and rivers. They are present from sea level up to an altitude of 2.400 m.

Diet:
They catch their prey in flight, mainly hunting bees, wasp and hornets, but also other insects such as dragonflies, and small vertebrates such as lizards and frogs.

Breeding:
European bee-eaters are mainly monogamous, although polygamy has also been observed. They breed in May-July and nest in a burrow excavated by both sexes on a vertical earth or sand bank. The female lays 4-8 white eggs, which are incubated by both parents for 3-4 weeks. The chicks are fed by both parents and sometimes also helpers and fledge 28-32 days after hatching, but only become fully independent about 1 month later.

Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
This species has a very large breeding range and the global population is estimated at 2,9-12 million individuals. The population is suspected to be in decline owing to loss of suitable prey due to widespread application if pesticides, loss of nesting sites through canalisation of rivers, increasing agricultural efficiency and establishment of monocultures, development of wilderness areas and shooting for sport, for food and because it is considered a crop pest.

Southern carmine bee-eater

Merops nubicoides

Photo by Mike Rolfe (Pixdaus)

Common name:
southern carmine bee-eater (en); abelharuco-róseo-do-sul (pt); guêpier carmin (fr); abejaruco carmesí del sur (es); karminspint (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Coraciiformes
Family Meropidae

Range:
This species is found breeding from southern Angola, through Zambia, Zimbabwe and northern Botswana, and into south-western Mozambique. Outside the breeding season they range as far south as north-eastern South Africa and as far north as central D.R. Congo, Rwanda and north-western Tanzania.

Size:
These birds are 24-27 cm long, plus an extra 12 cm if the tail streamers are considered. They weigh 50-70 g.

Habitat:
The southern carmine bee-eater is mostly found in savannas, scrublands, floodplains and swamps with scattered trees, favouring areas surrounding rivers and lakes. They can also be found in mangroves, pastures and arable land.

Diet:
They forage mainly on the wing, feeding on large flying insects including termite alates, cicadas, shield bugs, dragonflies, butterflies and locusts.

Breeding:
These birds are monogamous, living in large colonies of up to 1.000 pairs. They can breed all year round, with a peak in September-October. The nest is excavated by both sexes, consisting of a long tunnel ending in an unlined nest chamber which is usually dug into sandy riverbanks, ditches or sloping ground. The female lays 1-6 white eggs which are incubated by both sexes for 11-13 days. The chicks are raised by both parents and fledge 11-20 days after hatching.

Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
This species has a very large breeding range and is described as locally common. The population is suspected to be in decline owing to ongoing habitat destruction and it they are also shot by farmers who consider them pests.

Rainbow bee-eater

Merops ornatus

Photo by Patrick Ingremeau (Oiseaux)

Common name:
rainbow bee-eater (en); abelharuco-australiano (pt); guêpier arc-en-ciel (fr); abejaruco australiano (es); ragenbogenspint (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Coraciiformes
Family Meropidae

Range:
This species is found throughout mainland Australia, in New Guinea and eastern Indonesia. They are also found in the Solomon Islands.

Size:
These birds are 19-28 cm long, including the elongated tail feathers, and have a wingspan of 31-34 cm. They weigh 25-30 g.

Habitat:
The rainbow bee-eater is mainly found in open forests and woodlands, scrublands, and in various cleared or semi-cleared habitats, including farmland and human settlements. They are also found in coastal and inland sand dunes and mangroves, as well as along fresh water lakes and rivers.

Diet:
They catch insects on the wing, mostly bees and wasps, as well as dragonflies, beetles, damselflies, butterflies and moths, flies, ants and bugs. They occasionally also take other animals such as earthworms, spiders and tadpoles.

Breeding:
The rainbow bee-eater breeds in socially monogamous pairs that are sometimes assisted a number of helpers that are usually male. They breed in August-January and the nest in a chamber at the end of a long burrow or tunnel excavated by both sexes in flat or sloping ground, in the banks of rivers, creeks or dams, in roadside cuttings, in the walls of gravel pits or quarries, in mounds of gravel, or in cliff-faces. The female lays 2-8 pearl-white eggs, which are incubated by 22-31 days. The chicks are fed by both parents and the helpers, fledging 23-28 days after hatching, but continue to receive food for another 2-4 weeks.

Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
This species has a very large breeding range and a global population estimated at 1 million individuals. Although the introduced cane toad Bufo marinus is known to reduce their breeding success by feeding on eggs and especially nestlings, the overall population is suspected to be stable an is not considered threatened at present.

Red-bearded bee-eater

Nyctyornis amictus

Photo by Tom Stephenson (Discover Life)

Common name:

red-bearded bee-eater (en); abelharuco-de-garganta-vermelha (pt); guêpier à fraise (fr); abejaruco barbirrojo (es); rotbartspint (de)

Taxonomy:

Order Coraciiformes

Family Meropidae

Range:

This species is only found in south-east Asia, from southern Myanmar and south-west Thailand, through Malaysia and Singapore, and into the Indonesian islands of Sumatra and Bangka, and Borneo.

Size:

These birds are 27-31 cm long. Males tend to be larger than females, with the males weighing 68-92 g while females weigh 61-70 g.

Habitat:

Red-bearded bee-eaters are mostly found in primary rainforests, both in plains and in mountainous areas up to 1.500 m above sea level. They are also found in secondary woodland, flooded forests along swamps and lagoons, and even in large wooded gardens.

Diet:

These birds are insectivorous, taking insects in flight. Their diet includes cicadas, crickets, large beetles, termites, ants, wasps, hornets, carpenter bees and other bees.

Breeding:

They nest in August-March. Like all bee-eaters, they nest in a burrow tunnelled into the side of sandy bank. There the female lays 3-5 eggs which are incubated by both parents for 23-27 days.

Conservation:

IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)

Although the global population size has not been quantified, the species is known to have a population density of 20 individuals/km2 in primary lowland forest in Borneo and 10 individuals/km2 in forest on Peninsular Malaysia. The population is suspected to be in decline as lowland rainforests are being replaced with palm oil and rubber plantations throughout much of its range. Still, this species is not considered threatened at present.