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Rainbow Bee-eater

A species of Typical Bee-eaters
Scientific name : Merops ornatus Genus : Typical Bee-eaters

Rainbow Bee-eater, A species of Typical Bee-eaters
Botanical name: Merops ornatus
Genus: Typical Bee-eaters
Rainbow Bee-eater (Merops ornatus) Photo By Francesco Veronesi , used under CC-BY-SA-2.0 /Cropped and compressed from original

Description

Rainbow bee-eaters are brilliantly coloured birds that grow to be 23–28 cm (9.1–11.0 in) in length, including the elongated tail feathers, and weighing 20–33 g (0.71–1.16 oz). The upper back and wings are green in colour, and the lower back and under-tail coverts are bright blue. The undersides of the wings and primary flight feathers are rufous to copper with green edges and tipped with black, and the tail is black to deep violet. The rainbow bee-eater's two central tail feathers are longer than the other tail feathers, and are longer in the male rainbow bee-eaters than in the females. The crown of the head, the stomach and breast, and the throat are pale yellow-orange in color, and it has a black crescent-shaped gorget and a black stripe, edged with blue, extending through its bright red eye. They have small, syndactylous feet (i.e., with toes partly united). The juvenile has a greener crown, lacks throat bands and tail streamers.
Size
18-20 cm (7-8 in)
Colors
Brown
Black
Green
Yellow
Blue
Orange
Life Expectancy
2 years
Feeding Habits
Rainbow Bee-eater primarily consume flying insects, notably bees. They forage by spotting prey from a perch and catching insects mid-flight with their bill. To subdue and remove stingers, prey is struck against the perch. Their dietary habits balance bee predation with pest control, consuming hundreds of bees daily.
Habitat
Rainbow Bee-eater primarily dwell in open woodlands, often near water bodies like creeks and lakes. Their habitats extend to sandy pastures, lightly wooded savannas, parks, gardens, and suburban areas which offer abundant foraging opportunities. During breeding seasons, rainbow Bee-eater are also found in arable lands, beaches, mangroves, and farm fields. In contrast, their non-breeding season habitats include open suburbs, clearings in logged forests, secondary growth at forest edges, and waterways within undisturbed lowland rainforests. These birds are known for their broad geographical range across various regions, including parts of Australia, New Guinea, and southern Indonesian islands.
Dite type
Insectivorous

General Info

Behavior

Like all bee-eaters, rainbow bee-eaters are very social birds. When they are not breeding they roost together in large groups in dense undergrowth or large trees.

Distribution Area

Rainbow bee-eaters are a common species and can be found during the summer in forested areas in most of southern Australia, excluding Tasmania. They migrate north during the winter into northern Australia, New Guinea, and some of the southern islands of Indonesia. A vagrant has been recorded on Miyako Island, Japan. They may be found in open woodlands, beaches, dunes, cliffs, mangroves, and farmlands, and they often visit parks and private gardens.

Species Status

The rainbow bee-eater is a common, migratory species with a wide distribution and stable population, which is classified as least concern on the IUCN Red List.
Rainbow Bee-eater (Merops ornatus) Rainbow Bee-eater (Merops ornatus) Photo By Francesco Veronesi , used under CC-BY-SA-2.0 /Cropped and compressed from original
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