Stinging insects are seized in the bill and the tail end of the insect is then rubbed repeatedly against a branch to expel the venom and sting therefore removing the threat these pose. It can reach a length of 27–29 cm (10.6–11.4 in), including the two elongated central tail feathers. European Bee-eater, Merops apiaster, All Birds of Europe. As with all bee-catcher birds European bee-eaters are well adapted for their … It has a long, thin black mask around its orange-brown eyes, with a shiny blue line above its eye. Before egg-laying, females regularly eat dirt for its mineral content. Meropidae - bee-eaters. These mi­gra­tory birds can be found as far north as Fin­land and range as far south as South Africa, ex­tend­ing east into some Asi­atic coun­tries as well. A single bird can eat as many 250 insects a day. Die Alten füttern die Jungen - so ist es überall auf der Welt. Add to Likebox #101827320 - bee-eater. European Bee-eater (Merops apiaster) courting a female by offering it a lump of soil. It breeds in southern Europe and in parts of north Africa and western Asia. Nature: summer visitor.. #122134927 - European bee-eater, merops apiaster, landing on a twig with bee.. European bee-eater (Merops apiaster) landing on a branch with outstretched wings with a captured bee, Koros-Maros National Park, Bekes County, Hungary European bee-eater, Merops apiaster. Observations show that the birds actually enter the apiary only in cold and rainy periods, when the bees do not leave the hive and other insect prey are harder for the bee-eaters to detect. [14], Many bee-keepers believe that the bee-eaters are the main obstacle causing worker bees not to forage, and instead stay inside the hives for much of the day between May and the end of August. Before eating its meal, a European Bee-eater removes the sting by repeatedly hitting the insect on a hard surface. Studies were conducted over a 10‐year period on the supposedly similar European Bee‐eater Merops apiaster and Blue‐cheeked Bee‐eater Merops persicus breeding in mixed and separate colonies in four Asiatic countries. They seize them after short dashes … During courtship, the male feeds large items to the female while eating the small ones himself. The name, now modernised as Meropidae, is derived from Merops, the Ancient Greek for "bee-eater", and the English term "bee-eater" was first recorded in 1668, referring to the European species. Originally: the European bee-eater, Merops apiaster. [16], European bee-eater painted by John Gould - English ornithologist, Close-up video of a female European bee-eater, RSPB Handbook of British Birds (2014). Megfigyelések a Szamos menti gyurgyalagok (Merops apiaster) fészkelési viszonyairól és táplálkozásáról [Observation about nesting and feeding of European Bee-eaters Merops apiaster breeding along the river Szamos]. All Rights Reserved. Mar 30, 2013 - This Pin was discovered by Kathy Lambert. Eats insects such as bees and wasps (after removing the sting), ants, flies, beetles, butterflies and moths. Each species has a brief description, pictures and videos of the species in its natural environment. The European bee-eater was formally described by the Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus in 1758 in the tenth edition of his Systema Naturae under its current binomial name Merops apiaster. They catch insects in flight, in sorties from an open perch. It is strongly migratory, wintering in tropical Africa, India and Sri Lanka. The genus name Merops is Ancient Greek for "bee-eater", and apiaster is Latin, also meaning "bee-eater", from apis, "bee". Geographic Range. Observation: easy.. noun An African bird of the genus Rhinopomastes. The average bird meal consisted of 90.8 % honey bees and 9.2 % beetles. Bienenfresser (merops apiaster) - bee-eater . The female lays from 3 to 8 eggs and both parents participate in incubation. in 2015, two breeding pairs were found at a quarry in Cumbria. There are about 26 species of brightly-colored birds in this family. Description: very colourful, medium-sized bird with blue breast, abdomen, tail and primaries, reddish-brown crown, back, secondaries and upper coverts, yellow upper scapulars … from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English. These bee-eaters are gregarious—nesting colonially in sandy banks, preferably near river shores, usually at the beginning of May. the moment of eating prey European bee-eater, Merops apiaster. Upon completion of nesting bee-eater gather in flocks and prepare for migration. [Myths and truths about honey bees and bee eaters ]", "Bee-eater is not to blame for decline in honey bees", European bee-eater videos, photos & sounds, Species text in The Atlas of Southern African Birds, Feathers of European bee-eater (Merops apiaster), Ageing and sexing (PDF; 5.4 MB) by Javier Blasco-Zumeta & Gerd-Michael Heinze, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=European_bee-eater&oldid=999616150, Articles with unsourced statements from April 2013, Articles with unsourced statements from October 2012, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, In 1920, a pair tried to nest in a sand bank of the, In 1955, three pairs of bee-eaters nested in, A pair took up residence on farmland adjacent to the, A pair excavated a nest hole at a coastal site in. Bee-eater (Merops apiaster). They are found in open or lightly-wooded areas, usually near swamps, rivers, lakes, or flooded fields in tropical and semi-tropical regions of Europe, Africa, Asia, Australia, and the South Pacific.. There is a further moult into breeding plumage in winter in Africa.[4]. Like other bee-eaters, European Bee-eaters are insect hunters. [citation needed], The most important prey item in their diet is Hymenoptera, mostly Apis mellifera. Juvenile resembles a non-breeding adult, but with less variation in the feather colours. Can be found across the Bulgaria country in places with loose shores of soft soil. bee eater (merops apiaster) flies away from nest hole, sierra de andujar, sierra morena, andalucia, spain - bee eater stock videos & royalty-free footage white-fronted bee-eater, ms on branch with moth in beak, hits it on branch, pulls out - bee eater stock videos & royalty-free footage Today bee-eater endangered and protected species and killing him is pursued by law. Thus, we compared the migration patterns of European Bee‐eaters Merops apiaster from two established western (n = 5) and eastern (n = 6) breeding populations in Europe, with those from a newly founded northern population (n = 19). Alentejo, Portugal, April. [5] Their typical call is a distinctive, mellow, liquid and burry prreee or prruup. Valid publication of the genus name: Linnaeus Systema Naturae (ed. Both male and female care for the eggs, which they brood for about three weeks. A single bird can eat as many 250 insects a day. Like other bee-eaters, European Bee-eaters are insect hunters. There is a thin and long black beak curved down, long and pointed wings and tail often with extended middle feathers. noun A bird of the genus Merops, that feeds especially on bees. They eat less than 1% of the worker bees in areas where they live. Sexes are alike. Found throughout tropical and subtropical Eurasia, Africa, and Australasia (one species, Merops apiaster, occasionally reaches the British Isles), bee-eaters range in length from 15 to 35 cm (6 to 14 inches). However, the damage is minimal because eaten bees do not exceed 1% of all worker bees. It has brown and yellow upper parts, whilst the wings are green and the beak is black. It is strongly migratory, wintering in tropical Africa, India and Sri Lanka. In the past, some beekeepers have destroyed their nests during hatching of their chicks. Alternative methods of chasing him from the area of the apiaries are tied strips of shiny foil and other audio and visual materials that keep the birds away. Similar Images . They are migrated species, which flies from South Africa in April and migrate back in September in large flocks. They make a relatively long tunnel, in which they lay five to eight spherical white eggs around the beginning of June. The Bee-eater is one of the most colorful and beautiful birds in Bulgaria, a favorite of photographers. noun That which eats bees, as a bird; an apiaster. Breeding Doesn't really breed in the region – the Bee-eater is more of a summer migrant. At the same time destroying many wasps, hornets and other insect pests of bees. Add to Likebox #88394347 - Different birds set, lilac breasted roller, bullfinch, red bellied.. Vector. The bee-eaters were first named as a scientific group by the French polymath Constantine Samuel Rafinesque-Schmaltz, who created the bird subfamily Meropia for these birds in 1815. courtship of birds of paradise among beautiful flowers. Before eating its meal, a European Bee-eater removes the sting by repeatedly hitting the insect on a hard surface. please help me, I found a green Bee eater chick , it's left wing enjured.I don't know where is it's parents. Information: Bulgarian Society for the Protection of Birds. Stinging insects are seized in the bill and the tail end of the insect is then rubbed repeatedly against a branch to expel the venom and sting therefore removing the threat these pose. Merops Apiaster adult with Juvenile in a tree at Scamandre National Wetland Reservate Camargue France - panoramio.jpg 3,000 × 2,000; 490 KB Merops apiaster displaying to female in Germany.jpg 1,920 × 1,080; 338 KB Once the nest is done, the socket is used until the end of the life of birds. Flocks of bee-eaters follow tractors as they work fields. Holes can reach lengths up to 3 meters, and at the very end is the nest with a special expanded camera. It breeds in southern Europe and in parts of north Africa and western Asia. Some parts of the insect are indigestible and these are expelled in a pellet which they regurgitate. Before eating a bee, the European bee-eater removes the sting by repeatedly hitting the insect on a hard surface. Farmland and river valleys provide huge numbers of insects. Recommended observation points: Laguna de Pitillas, Las Cañas Reservoir, Bardenas, Sotos del Arga.. Times of the year present: de abril a septiembre.. [12], A study found that European bee-eaters "convert food to body weight more efficiently if they are fed a mixture of bees and dragonflies than if they eat only bees or only dragonflies. Fintha, I. As is suggested by its name, the European Bee-eater predominantly eats flying insects - particularly bees (honey bees and bumble bees), wasps and hornets, but also dragonflies and other larger insects. Non-breeding plumage is much duller and with a blue-green back and no elongated central tail feathers. Makes its nest in holes made in sheer coasts and sparse vegetation, but also in the vertical pits. The eggs hatch in June, July for about 20 days. (b) An African bird of the genus {Rhinopomastes}. This species occurs as a spring overshoot north of its range, with occasional breeding in northwest Europe. 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