A bee-eater is a bird with a bright and memorable appearance. Once seen, it is difficult to confuse it with other birds. It inhabits mainly the southern regions of the planet, so in our area there are only two of its varieties. Let's find out how the bee-eater looks and where it lives. You will find the photo, description and its features below in the article.
Bee-eater
Bee-eaters belong to the family of bee-eater and the order of crayfish. They got their eloquent name due to the fact that they feed on insects, and especially bees. Their diet also includes bumblebees, wasps, various bugs and flying ants. They catch prey right in the air, starting from a cliff, a tree or some kind of hill.
The second name of bee-eater birds is bee-eater. They got it thanks to the characteristic singing, reminiscent of the sounds "fyuyur" or "shchuuur."
About 23 species belong to bee-eater, most of which inhabit the African continent and the neighboring islands. Some of them also live in Asia, Australia, New Guinea, as well as in Southern Europe. Within Russia they are few in number, only golden and green bee-eater are found here.
Description of bee-eater birds
All members of the family, and even the detachment, are very colorful. This is due to the fact that most of them live in the tropics and subtropics. Only some species inhabit temperate latitudes, but they are also migratory and go to warmer regions for the winter. Despite the "seasonal" lifestyle, their color also remains colorful, which looks quite exotic outside the tropics.
The plumage of bee-eater birds is dominated by green, yellow and red colors and their shades. A black stripe stretches from the base of the beak to the eye and further, like a bandage. The beak itself is long and thin, sometimes bending downward. Because of their small legs, the birds do not walk very confidently, but they fly fast, making difficult maneuvers in the air. In many ways, long and stiff wings contribute to this.
Bee-eater live mainly in colonies, less often in separate pairs. They do not like dense forests and choose only slightly overgrown territories. Birds settle on steep cliffs and ravines made of clay and sand, in which burrows break through. By their structure, the dwellings of bee-eaters are more like tunnels, since their length sometimes reaches one and a half meters. At the very end, the corridor expands, forming a room where future offspring will develop.
Golden bee-eater
A bee-eater golden bird winters in India and Africa. In the spring she flies to Europe, to the western part of Asia and even to North America. The bird is found in Moldova, Ukraine, Belarus. On the territory of Russia, the upper boundary of its range passes through the Tambov region.
Bee eaters reach up to 28 centimeters in length. Their abdomen is turquoise, their throats are yellow, and their heads and backs are brick. A very bright, almost white spot is located above the beak, and a thin black stripe adorns the neck. Adult individuals are much brighter and darker than young animals, besides they have a longer tail, the size of which can be half the length of the body.
Green bee-eater
This bee-eater bird species lives farther south than the golden bee-eater. In Russia, it is found in the lower Volga, along the shores of the Caspian Sea and in the region of the North Caucasus. Bird is also common in Kazakhstan, Iran, Afghanistan, Egypt and the Middle East. She settles in the steppe, desert and semi-desert terrain.
The bird has a bright green color on the sides, abdomen, back and upper surface of the wings. The neck is painted in a dark brick color, with a small yellow speck. The forehead and the area under the beak are blue and white.
Nubian bee-eater
The Nubian bee-eater differs from many of its brethren by the predominance of a pink hue in color. Due to this, it is also called purple bee-eater. The bird has a bright pink body, slightly brownish wings and a dark blue head. The long narrow tail is brown and can reach 12 centimeters.
The purple bee-eater is a migratory bird, but it only moves within Africa. In spring and summer it lives in the northern and southern tropics, in the winter it flies closer to the equator. Bee eaters can often be seen sitting on antelopes, cows and other animals. So they look out for prey, and at the same time they eat annoying parasites.
Feathered pests
The bee-eater is a beautiful and unusual bird that can bring many benefits by eating locusts, butterflies and beetles that are dangerous for gardens. But among the people it is better known as a bee exterminator. One bee-eater can eat up to a thousand insects per day. The bird hunts in packs and, making raider raids on the apiary, can significantly knock down the beekeeper’s home business.
In the 40s of the XX century, newspapers urged mercilessly to deal with birds, shooting them or falling asleep their holes. Today, the bee-eater has turned into a valuable biological specimen. It is listed in the Red Books of Belarus, Ukraine, many regions of Russia, therefore drastic measures to combat it are contraindicated.
Modern beekeepers deal with feathered pests in other ways. If a colony of beehives is found nearby the apiaries, then the hives are simply moved to another area, away from problems. A flock of bee-eaters can be scared away by a bird of prey, for example, the cheglock falcon, which preys on them. Of course, not everyone is ready to have such a serious pet, but in order to ward off the beehive from the apiary, just turn on the voice recording of the predator.
Home Content
Heat-loving, parrot-like bee-eater often attract lovers of exotic animals. But as a poultry the bee-eater does not dare to acquire even experienced breeders. It is extremely difficult to maintain it, both in terms of equipping an aviary and in terms of taming.
They need a lot of space, the cage should allow them to fly at least sometimes. During cooling, they must be moved to heat or heated air in the aviary to a temperature above +10 degrees.
Adult bee-eater hardly gets used to captivity and communication with a person, experiencing significant stress. Therefore, for the maintenance of the house, chicks are always chosen. In addition, birds are very selective in food. They feel best when they catch their own food. To do this, in the aviary (if it is made of glass), you can run bugs and other insects. Food must be lively, sacrificed food or special food for birds the bee-eaters do not like. Usually they are fed with crickets, Khrushchev, various caterpillars, eggs and bloodworms.