Blue-Tailed Bee-Eater (Merops philippinus) lives in open savanna across Southeast Asia. It feeds on insects and spiders. Its conservation status is Least Concern.
Fascinating facts about the Blue-Tailed Bee-Eater
- Blue-tailed bee-eaters excavate their breeding burrows deep into loamy sand banks, often reaching almost two metres below the surface. The birds nest colonially, placing their nest holes close together in vertical mudbanks or gently sloping land. They prefer sandy and sandy-clay loams and avoid heavier clay, selecting clear banks without vegetation. This deep, communal tunnelling provides safe, insulated chambers for the clutch of five to seven spherical eggs.
- At locations such as Tanjung Tuan in western Malaysia and Promsri Hill in southern Thailand, blue-tailed bee-eaters undertake massive diurnal migrations. Entire flocks move together during the day, travelling long distances between breeding and wintering grounds. These seasonal movements make the species a prominent winter visitor in parts of Malaysia and peninsular India.
- From open perches the blue-tailed bee-eater launches swift sorties to catch flying insects, favouring large bees such as those of the genus Xylocopa. It also takes wasps, hornets and dragonflies, often catching them over estuaries, backwaters or even the sea close to the coast. Captured prey are beaten against the perch to kill them and break the exoskeleton before consumption.
- The blue-tailed bee-eater's foot is adapted for its lifestyle, with the three outer toes fused at their bases, forming a sturdy platform for perching. This fused toe arrangement gives the bird a secure grip when it watches for prey from an open branch or bank. From these perches it launches swift aerial sorties to snatch flying insects, a habit that relies on a stable foothold. The specialised foot thus supports its hunting technique in open habitats near water.
- Droppings of blue-tailed bee-eaters have been found to contain spores of the bee parasite Nosema ceranae, indicating the birds can carry the disease. Because the species migrates seasonally in large, daytime flocks across South and Southeast Asia, individuals travel long distances between breeding river valleys and wintering sites.
Sources
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At a glance
RangeSoutheast Asia
HabitatOpen savanna
DietInsects and spiders
About the Blue-Tailed Bee-Eater
As the sun rises over the grasslands, the Blue-Tailed Bee-Eater bursts into vibrant life, its iridescent feathers glimmering like polished jewels as it takes to the skies with effortless ease. With a swift, agile flight, it darts and weaves through the air, its long, curved beak snapping shut with deadly precision as it plucks unsuspecting insects from the warmth of the morning light. In a flash of brilliant blue and green, the bee-eater alights upon a branch, its slender form poised in perfect balance, a true marvel of evolutionary adaptation.
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