Swallow-tailed bee-eater

The swallow-tailed bee-eater (Merops hirundineus) is a near passerine bird in the bee-eater family, Meropidae.

Swallow-tailed bee-eater
M. hirundineus hirundineus
Tswalu Kalahari Reserve, South Africa
M. hirundineus chrysolaimus
Senegal
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Clade: Dinosauria
Class: Aves
Order: Coraciiformes
Family: Meropidae
Genus: Merops
Species:
M. hirundineus
Binomial name
Merops hirundineus
Synonyms
  • Dicrocercus hirundineus
Juvenile M. h. hirundineus, Namibia
M. hirundineus chrysolaimus in The Gambia

Description

This species, like other bee-eaters, 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. It can reach a length of 20–22 cm, including the long forked green or blue feathers. Sexes are alike.[2]

Distribution and habitat

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

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
  1. BirdLife International (2016). "Merops hirundineus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2016: e.T22683702A92996665. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T22683702A92996665.en. Retrieved 11 November 2021.
  2. Fry, H.; Boesman, P.F.D. (2020). Del Hoyo, Josep; Elliott, Andrew; Sargatal, Jordi; Christie, David; De Juana, Eduardo (eds.). "Swallow-tailed Bee-eater (Merops hirundineus)". Birds of the World. Cornell Lab of Ornithology. doi:10.2173/bow.stbeat1.01. S2CID 216191523. Retrieved 18 January 2022.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
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